Gracie Hunt comes from a long line of Kansas City Chiefs owners – but now she’s forging her own path in life. The 23-year-old is the daughter of Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt, whose side will be facing the Philadelphia Eagles at Super Bowl LVII this weekend.
Even as a baby, Gracie was dressed in the red and gold colours of her family’s NFL team and grew up on the sidelines. The Chiefs is certainly in her DNA, as grandfather Lamar Hunt founded the side in 1960, originally called Dallas Texans, before they moved to Kansas City in 1963. Lamar Hunt was the person who actually coined the name ‘Super Bowl’ and played a central role in shaping the NFL into what it is today.
Her great-grandfather was oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, while dad Clark is head of the Hunt Sports Group, which also oversees soccer team FC Dallas, and formerly the Columbus Crew, of the MLS. Gracie is heiress to oil and football dynasties, but it also a beauty pageant winner, marathon runner, philanthropist and aspiring businesswoman.
Gracie, who is currently studying a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Kansas, believes she could be the first female NFL commissioner. She had dreams of playing soccer in college and cherishes memories of being coached by her dad, but her ambitions were ended after suffering four concussions,
Gracie then made the move into the world of pageantry with the help of her mum, Tavia Hunt, who was crowned Miss Kansas USA in 1993. During five years of competing she won Miss Texas Teen International 2016, Miss Texas International 2018, and Miss Kansas USA 2021.
“I went from walking like a tomboy in my soccer cleats to gliding in six-inch pageant stilettos,” she told Maxim magazine. “My mom and dad were engaged when she went to Miss USA. They got married shortly after she gave up her Miss Kansas USA title and they agreed that none of their kids would do pageants. “My dad especially wanted us to participate in sports with scoreboards and finish lines and competitions that limit subjectivity.”
Gracie then got into running, once signing up for the Aspen Valley Marathon 13 hours before it began, and finishing in just three hours and 45 minutes. When she’s not running marathons, Gracie serves as a Special Olympics Ambassador and has served on the board of Special Olympics Texas and presently with Special Olympics Kansas.
She also works with New Friends New Life, which provides services and assistance for those victimised by human trafficking, and founded her own non-profit, Breaking Barriers Through Sports. In 2010, Gracie partnered with Athletes in Action on a soccer clinic for impoverished kids in South Africa during the World Cup – and donated soccer gear to children from the favelas in Brazil for the next tournament.
Gracie helps out with the Chiefs as well with marketing and brand development – and will be present at the NFL Draft when it’s held in her home city in April. The heiress is single at the moment, and joked she is “definitely looking for that number one draft pick”. She added: “My top three things: Does he align with me on a faith basis? Is he athletic? What does his work ethic look like? And if you’re funny with a great personality, that’s hard to beat.”
Hunt, who has Celiac disease and is highly allergic to gluten, is a certified health and fitness coach. The self-proclaimed “adrenaline junkie” also launched Chiefs Fit, two high-end fitness centres in Kansas City. “Being diagnosed at a young age has made me very health-conscious,” she told IN Kansas City in 2021. “I am committed to health and fitness, which is a huge passion of mine, and I recently completed my nutrition certification and accreditation to help others live a healthy lifestyle.”
