Gracie Hunt was Miss Kansas USA 2021

Gracie is the daughter of Tavia Shackles Hunt who was Miss Kansas USA 1993 and second runner-up at Miss USA. She is pursuing a Master’s in Sport Management at the University of Kansas and does promotional and brand development work for the Kansas City Chiefs and other winning brands, as well as running her own lifestyle blog.  She graduated early with honors from Southern Methodist University with degrees in Sport Management and Broadcast Journalism.

Gracie was—and still considers herself an athlete. She played competitive club soccer her whole life and won the state championship with her high school team.   Her nonprofit, Breaking Barriers Through Sports, uses sports as a mechanism to promote respect and inclusion while breaking barriers imposed by society (social, socioeconomic, religious, language, religion, ability, etc.).  Since its inception in 2016, she has been able to: speak in schools about the values of teamwork, respect, inclusion, and hard work. She has helped host NFL Play60 clinics and reach children from all backgrounds and walks of life. Additionally, she has had the opportunity to put on soccer clinics and bring supplies to underserved communities in Zambia and South Africa, as well as the slums in Rio de Janero, Brazil and Moscow, Russia.

Since high school, Gracie has worked closely with Special Olympics. She played as a partner player on two Unified Special Olympics teams. She has remained heavily involved and serves on both the Texas and Kansas Special Olympics Boards and also is a Special Olympics Global Ambassador.   Gracie also has a passion for ending modern day slavery and she serves on the board of New Friends New Life, an anti-human trafficking nonprofit.

Gracie grew up on the sidelines of professional sports and has watched the behind-the scenes of running an NFL franchise her entire life.   She wears many hats when it comes to her role with the team. She works closely with NFL Style, helps with marketing, brand development, serves on the selection committee for the Chiefs Cheerleaders, and is now helping with the launch of Chiefs Fit—two state-of-the-art fitness centers opening in Kansas City.  Since its start in 2012, Gracie has worked as a spokesmodel for the NFL Women’s Apparel Campaign.   She has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Teen Vogue, Redbook, Girls’ Life, and other publications.  In addition, she helped launch the annual Chiefs Style Lounge in Kansas City. As a teen, she modeled in the show and now co-emcees each year. 2021 will mark the 10th annual Chiefs Style Lounge.

Gracie is also a certified nutritionist and is completing her personal training certification. She is a fitness fanatic and is passionate about health, as heart disease is the leading killer of women and has affected her grandparents and close friends.  Gracie has been able to speak in schools to middle and high schoolers about health, fitness, and her journey as an athlete who transitioned to pageantry.