At 25, Blake Bolden Became the First Black Woman to Play Professional Ice Hockey

From Oprah Magazine

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It’s 4:30 in the morning. Before most of the world has even thought of hitting their alarm twice, Blake Bolden has already headed to her early-morning workout. Such is the life of a professional hockey player—and a full-time trailblazer.

At the age of 25, Bolden became the first Black woman to play professional ice hockey, with her debut in the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). Since then, Bolden has become a three-time NWHL All-Star and 2019’s NWHL Defensive Player of the Year. She also holds the honor of having the fastest slapshot in the game, a move in which a player strikes the puck in a sharp, sweeping motion. After playing for the Boston Pride, the Buffalo Beauts, and Switzerland’s HC Lugano, the 29-year-old now applies her acumen as a full-time hockey scout for the Los Angeles Kings.

Bolden’s path to athletic stardom was unusual, especially compared to her teammates’ trajectories. “People who start playing ice hockey usually come from families of fanatics and are learning to skate, almost before they can walk,” Bolden tells OprahMag.com.

Instead, the Cleveland-born athlete came to the ice at the age of seven, nearly by chance. At the time, Bolden explains, her single mother was balancing motherhood and working three jobs. Then, she met her boyfriend, the man whom Bolden considers her father—and everything changed for the family.

“He swooped us up and introduced us into his life and his environment. He worked part-time for the International Hockey League. Since he had a media pass, I just followed him everywhere around the rink which gave me a front-row seat into the game and made me say, ‘I want to try it!” Bolden said.

It took Bolden three years to get on par with other skaters, who began as wobbling two-year-olds. After playing track and field, karate, and gymnastics, Bolden found she had a natural affinity for the sport.

But hockey posed challenges that were not technical. Back then, Bolden competed on exclusively male-only teams. Each match, she was the "exception" on the ice: The only Black kid, and the only girl. Bolden found she needed to develop another skill, one that would serve her throughout her career: Fortitude.

“For me, I was always focused on the fact that I was the only girl on the team, in the league, and the only Black person overall, so I had to push through,” Bolden says. She was 12 when she joined her first all-girls league, the Ohio Flames.

Through these experiences, Bolden realized she didn’t just want to be great at hockey. She wanted to be the face for young Black girls who needed visible representation that they could take up space in an alternative avenue, whatever their choice may be.

Bolden’s love for the game has transcended some of the hardest challenges an athlete could face—many of them outside the rink. In an interview with OprahMag.com, Bolden opens up about being overlooked by brands and sponsors; snubbed by the Olympic national team; and judged by people in the stands. What keeps Blake going is her passion for the sport, and creating an avenue for other Black athletes to follow in her path.

“I want to be a staple in this sport, so that others will say, ‘I did this because of Blake Bolden,’” she says.

Oprah Mag: Ice hockey is a pretty hard-hitting sport. How were you able to navigate that space and not get extremely hurt?

You just have to learn to hit and protect yourself the right way—I’ve gotten my bell rung a few times just from people finding out I was a girl. But hockey is a game where nothing can stop you. You literally have to get up, dust yourself off, and keep it moving. Plus, being the only girl on a boys team didn’t grant any moments of pity.

For me, I was always focused on the fact that I was the only girl on the team, in the league, and the only Black person overall, so I had to push through.

Youth sports can be taken extremely seriously by parents. What was playing hockey like, growing up? How did they treat you?

The parents were probably worse than the kids, honestly. The things that my mom would hear in the stands about me were absolutely rude and disrespectful. It was always a combination of racism and sexism. Obviously, children mimic the energy of their parents, so I would bear the brunt of some kids’ learned ignorance.

It didn’t bother me because I felt protected by my team. I felt my team had my back and would get people together. But it wasn’t fair for my mom, who was supporting her child just like other parents, to be subjected to such nastiness. I still believe it was much harder for her, hearing grown people say these types of things about a child—her child.

Did you and your mother have the conversation about your race and gender, and how it might impact the game?

There wasn’t much she really had to say, although we would have "the Talk." It was more of how she handled everything, the way she lived her life, and the way she led by example that let me know I could do anything I wanted and excel at it. Based on her work ethic and everything I saw in her, as a Black woman, it made me want to push even harder.

One of the main issues women of color in professional sports face is getting opportunities for brand deals and sponsorships. Has that been consistent with you?

Let’s begin with the fact that I’m not on the national [Olympics] team, and everyone seems to have some reason as to why. None of those reasons add up to the talent I gave, and what I represent in the sport. I have won world championships with Team USA. I won Defensive Player of the Year. I’ve been in All-Star games. I think it’s ridiculous. I feel like this stuff tends to be more personal rather than my skill not being up to par.

Now, I’m playing just simply to be that diversity for the sport, no matter what deals come my way. It’s unfortunate. This could’ve been something groundbreaking for the sport—not as a handout, but really showing off that I do have the skill to compete on this level, and supported by brands who believe in diversity.

I can only amplify my voice to a certain extent, so partnerships, sponsorships, and other opportunities are what takes it the rest of the way to market this sport and introduce new audiences to it. But I have the fastest and hardest slap shot in professional women’s ice hockey at 87mph, yet I have never been approached by any hockey stick companies for an endorsement.

With all of the obstacles and triumphs you’ve had in your ice hockey career, what is your ultimate goal?

As I talk more about who I am and what I bring to the sport, awesome things have been happening for me. I know that there is value to what I have to offer and know that I am marketable. I want to be the best motivator for making hockey cool and inclusive. I want to be a staple in this sport so that others, will say, ‘I did this because of Blake Bolden’.

I want to move into front office roles where I can have a greater impact on decision making on behalf of women and women of color in this sport. Maybe I’ll own my own team one day, but I think telling my story is helping to establish important conversations that’ll positively impact the next generations.

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