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From Pitch to Pen: Gwendolyn Oxenham's Journey of Soccer and Storytelling
7/14/2023 12:46:00 PM | Women's Soccer
By Charlotte Tannenbaum, Duke Athletics Communications Student AssistantDURHAM -- Duke women's soccer has no shortage of notable alumnae. That being said, Gwendolyn Oxenham easily stands out as one of the most fascinating student-athletes to pass through the program. When she came to Duke in 2000 at the age of 16, Oxenham held the title of the youngest athlete in the history of NCAA Division I athletics. Though many remember her for her advanced skill and natural talent on the field, Oxenham's talents stretch far beyond the pitch. The alumna has a clear gift for storytelling, and she has used her career to give individuals all around the world a platform to share their unique perspectives and experiences. Oxenham has been recognized for her incredible work in the intersection between soccer and journalism, having developed successful documentaries, books, and podcasts that shed light on neglected stories.
"Gwendolyn is one of the more talented writers out there for soccer," said Duke women's soccer head coach Robbie Church. "If you read what she's writing, she's very knowledgeable about the game and is very entertaining in her writing. Her passion that we saw here at Duke that led her to be such a good player has just grown over the years. For me to be able to follow her path after she left Duke has just been amazing. She's done some incredible things and is such a creative person. She was always trying to find ways to make herself better and to make her teammates better. She was a key component in our program when she was here at Duke."
Even though she was years younger than the rest of her teammates and classmates, Oxenham easily settled into life at Duke. She was no stranger to playing up, and quickly found her home on the soccer team.
"I liked being the younger one. I was good at the little sister role, so I loved it," said Oxenham. "I had really wonderful seniors on the team when I was a freshman, so they took me under their wing. With a soccer team, you don't have to make friends. You inherit friends."
Many athletes struggle in the transition from high school to college. But not Oxenham - she took the bull by the horns upon arriving in Durham and was determined to take advantage of all Duke had to offer. She went on to start 78-of-80 matches as a Blue Devil, score 10 goals, add 17 assists and totaled two game-winning goals. She earned All-ACC second team accolades as a rookie following an impressive season with five goals and five assists.
"In high school, I didn't have enough hours in the day, so I was super exhausted," said Oxenham. "I felt like I had more time in college."
Though practicing and playing at such a high level can certainly feel like a full-time job, the young player was so accustomed to demanding schedules that she was able to balance soccer with another passion: storytelling. Her favorite spot off the field?
"The Center for Documentary Studies. It's a bunch of professors pursuing their own passions and helping you find yours," said Oxenham. "I just felt so at home there."
For her first big project, Oxenham chose a subject close to her heart.
"I made my first documentary on the Duke women's soccer team," said Oxenham. "I followed our seniors: you're a soccer player your whole life, and then you graduate, and suddenly you're not a soccer player anymore."
When Oxenham later faced this transition herself, the young player grappled with some of the insecurities and uncertainties that many graduating student-athletes face.
"Oh my God, why did I spend so long dribbling around cones, you know? It took me 20 years to get good at soccer, and now I'm supposed to just go be good at something else? I felt really nervous at the beginning," said Oxenham.
Despite any initial uncertainty, it didn't take long for Oxenham to learn that her time on the field had left her with a valuable skill set that she would use for the rest of her life.
"When you're on a team, you quickly learn unspoken cues - how to be considerate of others, how to work well with people, how to sort of pick up on moods and know when people have hurt feelings and when people need encouragement and how to help one another," said Oxenham."
Equipped with both the skills she picked up on the field and the passion for storytelling she discovered off the field, Oxenham graduated Duke ready for a new adventure. She was only 20 years old at the time, but ready nonetheless to begin the next chapter of her story. For Oxenham, that meant saying goodbye to Durham.
"I was fascinated by how different the world can be in different places," said Oxenham. "I used to read a lot of adventure stories. I remember a book about a teenage girl who ends up on a ship full of sailors, and that just blew my mind."
Never one to not fully commit, Oxenham did more than read about these experiences. She lived them. Her first adventure after Duke?
"I got a job as a deckhand scrubbing toilets on a boat in Mexico," said Oxenham.
It was during this time that inspiration struck for her next project.
"We were anchored off of an island that served as an outpost for the Mexican army. There were guys with machine guns and machetes, but right behind them there was a makeshift soccer field. I went there and I made kicking gestures and within 10 minutes, it's pouring rain, having drinks together, sharing goal celebrations, they're handing me their machine guns…" recalls Oxenham. "Because I could kick a ball, I immediately got to know these guys, even though I couldn't speak Spanish and they couldn't speak English. It created this intimacy where you just felt like true friends, and soccer made that possible."
Though Oxenham had always felt a love for the game, she was able to explore a different side of it for her project Pelada, in which she and now husband Luke Boughen traveled the globe experiencing different cultures through the lens of soccer.
"The game can open up the world for you, and it's just so worth it for the adventure alone," said Oxenham.
Twenty-five countries and a whole lot of adventure later, Pelada was finished.
"When we wanted to make our documentary, Duke helped us," said Oxenham. "I feel so grateful to have gone to a school that supports ideas and lets you chase your wildest dreams."
In fact, Oxenham and Boughen's co-directors for Pelada were Blue Devils themselves. The team was rounded out by Rebekah Fergusson, a fellow member of the Duke women's soccer team, and Ryan White, a former classmate from Duke's Center for Documentary Studies.
Oxenham's travels - and the people she met along the way - helped to inspire one of her newest projects: Hustle Rule. Adapted by Nike from her book, Under the Lights & in the Dark, the 7-episode docuseries is voiced by Hannah Waddingham (for Ted Lasso fans: that's Rebecca Welton!) and gives a platform for women around the world to share their stories.
Y'all know @hanwaddingham hosts a podcast on women's soccer?Get ready for #WWC2023 by listening to that beautiful voice narrate stories of women all over the ?? risking everything for the game. HUSTLE RULE, based on my book Under the Lights & in the Dark https://t.co/xZ3HEMvKba https://t.co/fzPUgmHYca
— gwendolyn oxenham (@gwenoxenham) July 7, 2023
The first episode follows the story of Nigerian player Alinco, whose extraordinary passion and talent pushed her to overcome the odds.
"There wasn't enough space in her home to turn over at night; they slept on the floor," said Oxenham. "But through her dreams and her determination to play, she changed the fate of her whole family,"
Another episode follows the story of striker Nadia Nadim.
"She fled Afghanistan after the Taliban executed her father and then learned how to play in a refugee camp," said Oxenham. "Now she's a doctor and a professional soccer player and the star of the Danish team. I mean, that's a pretty extraordinary human being."
Other stories are from much closer to home. In episode two, entitled "Play Away the Gay", players for the Charlotte Eagles here in North Carolina share their experiences playing on a team under blatantly homophobic management.
"They require players to sign a contract saying they won't engage in homosexual behavior," said Oxenham. "A lot of my gay friends went and played for them back in the day. In that episode, I follow what this means for the gay players who play on this team. It still happens today! It's crazy to me that this team is allowed to keep hurting people."
Oxenham's work has taken her to some unexpected places. She has continuously used her talents to bring attention to untold stories and provide a platform for others to share their narratives.
"If you're interested in the story, follow it," said Oxenham.
From being the youngest NCAA athlete, to traveling the world, to exposing injustices, Oxenham is a woman whose entire life seems to be centered around embracing risks and taking big leaps. Though it would be easy to look at her impressive list of accomplishments and assume that Oxenham is some superhuman who doesn't feel fear, she will be the first to tell you that that's not true.
"I was always really shy," said Oxenham. "Going to the bank scared me, getting gas scared me, I never spoke in class. I would balance my fear of doing things, like traveling, with the huge desire to do it. After spending years training to perform as a high-level athlete, she was no stranger to pushing herself. As she
learned to embrace new experiences, Oxenham felt some of her fears melt away.
"Once you've bribed your way into a Bolivian prison, it's not as scary when you have to make a phone call," said Oxenham.
Though Oxenham's adventurous path has certainly taken some unconventional turns, her takeaway is one that anybody can draw from.
"If it scares you, you should do it," said Oxenham. "Sometimes that puts you in situations you might not have chosen, but it always expanded my world in a way that I wouldn't take back."
Oxenham is not extraordinary because she lives without fear. She is extraordinary because instead of running from it, she charges straight towards it. Today, Oxenham is working to foster this same tenacity and curiosity in other storytellers. She is currently a professor at Laguna College of Art and Design, where she hopes to make the same positive impact on students that her professors at Duke had on her.
"I love teaching mainly because students all have awesome stories," said Oxenham. "I love hearing from people from all over the world and hearing their stories and helping them find their voice."
Don't worry - Oxenham still makes time to write. She continues to cover the most fascinating stories in soccer, racking up bylines on ESPN, Sports Illustrated, the New York Times, and more.
When U.S. women's national team superstar Megan Rapinoe shot to international fame, it was Oxenham who beautifully portrayed the ups and downs of the player's complicated relationship with her brother, Brian, who watched his sister's first two World Cups from solitary confinement instead of the stands.
When retired soccer legend Heather O'Reilly returned to the game to bring an amateur Irish team to their first Champions League win, it was Oxenham who penned the uplifting story.
And when the U.S. women's national team needed an author to tell its official history in Pride of a Nation, it was Oxenham who wrote essay after essay capturing and immortalizing the spirit of the legendary program.
Oxenham's talent has not gone unrecognized. Mere months before his untimely passing, the late Grant Wahl described her as "the best long form writer on women's soccer in the world."
Coming from Wahl, one of the most revered and talented sports journalists in history, this designation carries tremendous weight. Oxenham proves it to be true with every byline she earns.
Oxenham has lived many different lives. In her quest to learn about the captivating stories of other people, she has created a fascinating one for herself.
She has been a soccer prodigy, a valued teammate, a dedicated student, a creative visionary, mother, a devoted teacher, a world traveler - and yes, even a boat toilet scrubber - all the while amplifying diverse narratives as a talented storyteller. Duke University is unspeakably proud for "Blue Devil" to be among her many titles, and we look forward to following her future adventures.
View some of Oxenham's work below:
Hustle Rule Podcast
Why Megan Rapinoe's brother Brian is her greatest heartbreak and hope
Why USWNT legend Heather O'Reilly came out of retirement for an amateur Irish team; Champions League and Slovenian Ice Cream
Gwendolyn Oxenham's Books
More SI Articles by Oxenham
ESPN.com: Joan Dunlap paved the way for moms of USWNT, women's soccer
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