Kyla Warren was coming out of her psych stats class at the University of Guelph, heading for a workout with the women’s rugby team, when her phone went off.
An email notification, telling the Erin native she is one step closer to achieving a dream.
Warren is one of 100 finalists in the RBC Training Ground competition, a Canadian Olympic Committee venture to seek out the next great Olympians.
“I was just overjoyed,” she told EloraFergusToday from her home in Erin. “It’s just a wonderful feeling, and I’m just really excited to go compete in the finals and just see what happens from there.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to be named to that top 30, and hopefully I’ll be able to get that funding because that would be just a dream come true if I did.”
Warren did her qualifying testing in London in May, and was one of about 2,500 athletes who took part across the country.
She will be one of 100 heading to Halifax on Nov. 2, with all expenses paid.
“I was definitely nervous when I first showed up to my event in London, but they’re super friendly, they warmed us up,” Warren said.
“It was really fun and really interesting to meet a bunch of different athletes from different sports.”
The competition had a combine feel to it.
Events testing speed, strength and endurance pushed Warren and others to their limit.
She found out about the competition through her rugby teammates, and her mother encouraged her to give it a shot.
The 22-year-old grew up a multi-sport athlete, competing in dance, soccer, karate, basketball and volleyball.
“I think it was 10th or 11th grade, I decided to try rugby because I had never done it before, see what happens,” she said. “I would say I did pretty well.”
The Erin District High School grad fell in love with the game, and that love grew with the University of Guelph.
Opportunities started flying her way in the game.
Warren was able to participate in various national camps, and has trained with the women’s national team.
With a funding boost, Warren could accelerate her path toward the Olympics in women’s rugby sevens.
“I would be just over the moon,” she said of the prospect of competing at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
“It feels so far off like a dream, but if I were to go, it would be just everything I ever wanted since I was a little kid, just like every other little athlete’s dream is to go to the Olympics and do fantastic in their sport. That’s the dream for me as well, and I think it would be beautiful and I’d just be ecstatic overall.”
Right now, Warren’s focus is on the university season.
The OUA women’s rugby playoffs begin this weekend. Guelph finished 5-1 and earned a bye into the semifinal on Oct. 19.
