Jen Kish adds to memory mosaic with Olympic tattoo

The half black, half red maple leaf with a rugby ball in the middle inked on Jen Kish's right calf reminds her of where her journey began.

The captain of the women's national squad that won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics got her start at W. P. Wagner High School in Edmonton when she was in Grade 10. She was just 16 years old when she made Team Canada for the first time, in the U-19 division. The tattoo of the Rugby Canada logo was to mark the occasion.

What I've learned over the years is that people really love to hear what I have to say about the ink on my body.- Jen Kish

Since then, Kish has chronicled her life with art on her body. Both of her arms are pretty much covered, making it difficult to count how many she's acquired. She estimates between 20 and 100.

But her left calf was bare until Saturday, when, at Urge 2 Tattoo on 107 Avenue, custom tattoo artist Jen Dangerbegan etching the Olympic flame, with the Olympic rings on the base of the torch, into Kish'sskin.

"It's so fitting because on my right calf, I have the tattoo of where I started rugby," Kish said. "It really completes my dream and my journey."

Kish's story captivated Canadians.

She fought hard to get to Rio, never mind onto the field at Deodoro Stadium in medal contention.

"It's gruelling and you have those days where you're like 'I don't know if I'm good enough' and 'I don't know if this is for me' and 'maybe I should just step back,'" Kish said.

But she didn't.

For Kish,sharing the moment,after Canada beat Great Britain 33-10 for a podium finish on Aug. 8, with her father, Steve Kish a single parent and cancer survivor was the ultimate reward.

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"To be able to go to him and share that experience with him and hug him and thank him in person for everything that he's done for me and to support me the way that he has, it was just such a great father-daughter moment," Kish said.

"Canada really loved watching that moment."

Sharing experiences is important to the Olympian.

"What I've learned over the years is that people really love to hear what I have to say about the ink on my body," Kish said.

So having the right tattoo artist do the design is especially important.

Kish and Danger just met, but now, they share a special bond.They didn't talk much since Kish was stretched out on a table and Danger was sitting at the end near Kish's feet, but Danger was honoured to be inking a tattoo so important to Kish.

"It's just super fulfilling," Danger said.

roberta.bell@cbc.ca

@roberta__bell