VICTORIA — Under bright sunshine, Jen Kish runs alone as she rehabs an injured knee. At the end of the pitch, the Canadian women's rugby sevens team she captains is drilling in front of coach John Tait.
Kish is hard to miss. A powerful runner even with a bulky knee brace, her body is an ink-decorated canvas topped by a megawatt smile and short blond shock of hair.
Noticing a lone bystander with a notebook watching on the sidelines, Kish asks whether he's a reporter as she runs by. The answer is in the affirmative.
"Cool," she says simply as she keeps running.
Now restored to health, the 26-year-old from Edmonton is likely to draw far more attention as she leads Canada in search of the first women's rugby sevens gold medal to be awarded at the Pan American Games.
The rugby sevens competition is scheduled for July 11-12 at BMO Field.
And next year, she and her team will be after Olympic gold as the sport makes its debut at the Rio Games.
"She's exciting. She's got an amazing set of skills," Tait said of Kish.
The five-foot-10 Kish, like five-foot-11 teammate Kelly Russell, can make her presence felt right from the kickoffs.
Possession is key in rugby sevens. Their job is to get under Ashley Steacy's accurate kicks and get the ball back. They are very good at doing it.
Tait also points to Kish's combination of power and agility, which makes her a terror at the breakdown as she hunts for the ball.
"She's one of the fastest players on and off the ground in rugby. So when she makes a tackle, she's on her feet and able to contest for balls at, I believe, a whole level higher than anyone else right now in the Women's (Sevens) Series. Which makes her really unique."
Kish also has "no fear in contact," according to Tait.
"She's a real treat to watch. Deceptive. Sometimes you thinks she's not moving as fast as she is. And she's not a small girl. She's a gifted athlete and a great player to coach because there's still so much potential to develop in her skill set."
Off the pitch, the charismatic Kish is as colourful as her extensive set of tattoos. She packs a lot into life.
She drives a 2006 Chevy truck, having got rid of her motorcycle because of the insurance costs. A recent attempt to repair the truck herself ended badly — "An epic fail," she admits with a laugh — necessitating a trip to Canadian Tire.
Kish's dream of being an elite athlete started at an early age.
In Grade 2, she had to create a book on what she wanted to do when she grew up. "I put down professional athlete." And she was nine when she watched Canada win silver in the debut of women's hockey at the '98 Olympic Games.
"Tears were coming down my face and I was like 'Oh my God, I'm so happy,'" she recalled. "I knew right from there that's what I wanted to do and that's where I wanted to be."
Her family could not afford hockey equipment, however. Eventually she fell into high school rugby, which led to playing for the Edmonton Rockers club and trying out for the Alberta team.
In 2005, she was just 16 when she played for Canada at the under-19 level in the 15-player version of the game.
"It all happened so fast, it all happened within a year," she said. "I just had people supporting me, pushing me to try out for things. ... I had coaches that believed in my abilities and from there it just kind of took off."
At 18, she was picked by the national team. A flanker and occasional No. 8, she played at the 2010 Rugby World Cup before getting injured.
After the tournament, Tait invited her to a sevens camp, setting her on a new rugby journey. This season, the Canadian women finished second to New Zealand in the World Series to book their ticket to Rio. They also scored a first-ever tournament win in Amsterdam.
Kish is quick to credit those who have helped her achieve her athletic dream, starting with her father who worked two jobs to make ends meet for Kish and her older brother. Her parents divorced when she was young.
She calls her partner Nadene "a huge supporter" who helps her stay grounded and on track. The two plan to marry once her rugby career is over.
"She's a big reason why I'm successful," said Kish, who now makes her home in Victoria where the team trains. "The same with my Dad ... I'm pretty blessed to have amazing people like Nadene and my Dad and even my friends in my life."
Thanks to her tattoos, Kish literally wears her heart on her sleeve, and her back and her torso and other body parts.
One arm reads "Dance like no one is watching, Sing like no one is listening." The other arm reads "Laugh like you've never been hurt, Live like it's heaven on earth."
Her biceps say "Live true" and "Love life." Another design reads "What I do today is important."
"I had no idea that I was going to get all this to be honest, but it's a way that I express myself," she explained. "It reminds me every day of what I'm doing, where I've came from and where I am today.
"I keep building off of my experiences so that's how my tattoos keep growing."
She did try body piercing once. But sadly it didn't go well with the rough-and-tumble sport of rugby. "It was a fail," she said with a laugh.
"A separate story," she added. And another life experience.
