Bourke set for soccer action, nursing courses at St. Olaf College

Published 3:30 pm Thursday, July 30, 2026

Blakeley Bourke’s mind has been filled with thoughts of soccer and nursing these days.

Those are two of the main elements that await the Mercer Island resident at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, this fall.

The recent Mercer Island High School (MIHS) graduate has been getting in some soccer action this summer and engaging in sprinting, plyometrics and weightlifting workouts to prepare for the next step on her sports journey. Off the pitch, the 18-year-old aims to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist down the line.

“I always kind of thought that anesthesia was pretty interesting, just like how it works and all that,” said Bourke, who will attend St. Olaf College on an academic scholarship.

On the sports front, teams at the private liberal arts college compete in the NCAA Division III realm.

During Bourke’s copious years of playing local soccer, she was a member of the MIHS program for four years — varsity for three seasons and varsity for part of her freshman campaign — and five years with the Seattle Reign Academy club program.

When delving into what she learned from participating in MIHS soccer that she can tote with her to St. Olaf College, Bourke said that playing faster and more physical are two components of her game that came about early in her Islander experience. Learning new skills and building relationships with her teammates were also key take-aways for Bourke, who has recently played the wing and forward positions.

Bourke expanded on her MIHS soccer years: “I think I learned a lot about perseverance, and that you’re gonna go through some highs and some lows. Obviously, the highs are really great, but the lows can be super hard. So just knowing that if you work hard through the lows, then it’ll be just even greater on the other side.”

Last November, Bourke trained with the U.S. Women’s Deaf National Team at its camp in Fayetteville, Georgia, after learning about the opportunity from club director and head coach Amy Griffin and then receiving an invitation. Bourke has had a mild to moderate bilateral hearing loss her whole life and has worn hearing aids since she was 1-year-old.

“It was amazing,” she said of training with the team. “It definitely gave me some new perspective on just a different way to kind of play since they play without their hearing aids to level the playing field.”

According to Bourke’s mother, Kirsten: “The heartbreaker for Blakeley was that between the invitation and arriving at camp, she had a clearance hearing test. Her hearing was at 52 decibels (dB). The hearing loss of players needs to be at least 55 decibels or more in their better ear. The training experience was all she hoped for in so many ways. Coach Griffin shared with Blakeley that she fit in well with the team, both in skill and camaraderie. The only reason she couldn’t offer her a spot on the final roster was that her hearing was three decibels shy.”

Kirsten added that the team won the gold medal at the Deaflympics in Tokyo and that Blakeley texted the players to cheer them on during the games and was thrilled that the squad was triumphant.

“She gets her hearing checked yearly, so if it hits the 55 dB mark, she’ll definitely try out again,” mom noted.

When she’s not in soccer mode, Blakeley has volunteered 405 hours over six years for the mother-daughter nonprofit National Charity League’s Lake Washington chapter. Kirsten said her daughter’s favorite charities were Listen & Talk, YouthCare (making meals for teens experiencing homelessness) and Sound Foundations (helping build tiny homes for adults experiencing homelessness).

Blakeley latched onto the National Charity League after Kirsten asked if she wanted to participate. Some of Blakeley’s friends were involved with the League as well, so she and her mom joined up.

“I just thought it’d be a fun thing. And then throughout the years, I just kind of learned how much volunteering can help others,” said Blakeley, adding that the experience turned into an enjoyable bonding time with Kirsten. “Trying new places to volunteer was also super fun. Just being able to spend that time with my mom and help others was super rewarding.”

Bouncing back to Blakeley’s youth, Kirsten remembers her daughter being a fearless toddler who loved playing any activity involving a ball and riding her bike without training wheels at 3 years old.

“I am immensely proud of Blakeley’s innate tenacity. She challenges herself to try new opportunities and has never allowed her hearing loss to hold her back,” said Kirsten, adding that she’s also proud of Blakeley’s independent spirit and unwavering commitment to her own values and principles.

The Reporter asked Blakeley a series of questions to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into her life:

If you could go to dinner with one person, who would that be?

My mom or my dad. I’m trying to do this time with them before I go to college in a month. So I think I used to take that time for granted, but now since it’s coming so quick, I realize that I really do try to do this time with them. They’ve given me a lot of knowledge and support over the years, so I think just spending time with them would be great.

What’s your favorite movie of all time?

My favorite movie of all time is “Top Gun: Maverick.” I watch it every single time I’m on the plane, and it’s so good. I think I’ve watched it like 25 times.

What’s your dream vacation spot?

I think my dream vacation spot would be Turks and Caicos.

What’s a skill that you’d like to learn?

A skill I’d like to learn is to be able to do a backflip.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

I think slow walkers.

What superpower would you like to have?

I think I’d like to be able to fly.