McMaster student Jayden King is making history at the 2026 Montana’s Brier as Team Ontario’s first Black skip, competing on one of the sport’s biggest national stages while navigating the demands of a rigorous health-professional program
A student in the Master of Science Physiotherapy Program and a longtime curler, King has spent years honing his leadership on the ice — skills he now balances with his training in rehabilitation science at McMaster.
We connected with King about his interest in rehab science, his passion for curling, and what this history-making competition means to him.
Can you share your journey to pursuing a career in rehabilitation science? What inspired you?
Through my childhood and my undergrad I had a strong background in sport from success as a competitive curler. My undergrad degree in Human Kinetics focused on human anatomy/biomechanics.
Through these experiences I gained experience with a variety of populations from elite athletes to geriatrics. The common ground between everyone was the enjoyment of understanding pain-free, efficient movement and I wanted to be able to facilitate that.
How did you get into curling?
I started curling in 2012 after seeing it on TV at a neighbour’s house. I then told my mom that I wanted to try it so they took me to the local curling club in Tillsonburg, and I have loved it ever since.
Throughout my junior curling career I played on teams based out of London, Hamilton, Kingston and Ottawa, winning the 2023 Ontario Junior Championship and 2024 Ontario Mixed Championships representing the province at both respective national championships.
How have your background and lived experiences shaped your perspective as a student in this field?
Coming into physiotherapy as a student-athlete of colour has shaped how I see both health care and education. I have also lived the reality of injury, rehab, performance pressure, and time constraints.
That experience has made me deeply patient-centered and empathetic and also made me more critical of systems that claim to value wellness while offering limited flexibility. Balancing elite sport with an intense academic program has shown me — from a student’s, patient’s and health-care professionals lens — the disadvantages of rigid structures and the need to be adaptable.
You are making history at the 2026 Montana’s Brier by becoming the first Black skip to compete. What does that mean to you?
Representation on the largest stage in curling is super important and means a lot to me. Just as the demographics of Canada are changing, so are the demographics of curling. To be part of the evolution of our sport and to be proof that curling is an accessible, diverse and accepting sport is really special.
What role have your community, mentors, or peers played in supporting you throughout your journey?
My athletic community has been my biggest source of support. Teammates and coaches understand discipline, fatigue, and accountability in a way that feels very aligned with physiotherapy.
The students in the physiotherapy program are also a tight-knit community that provides an excellent support network of peers that understand your victories and struggles. Leaning on others was crucial for me in balancing sport and school and has created lifelong friendships.
Who or what has inspired you to pursue excellence in rehabilitation science?
I was inspired by physiotherapists who treated me as an athlete. The ones who respected my goals, explained the “why,” and adapted plans when life got complicated, showing me what excellent rehab looks like.
Sport itself has also driven me towards a passion for human movement and optimizing function.
What impact do you hope to have on the profession in the future?
I hope to be a physiotherapist who focuses on client-centred care. I want to make sure that the work I do is accessible to as many people as possible.
I want to make sure I am leading a profession based on listening to the goals of each patient, and that I value treatment as well as advocacy.
What advice would you give to future students entering this field?
The most important thing is to “be comfortable with the grey”. There are many areas of physiotherapy that are not cut and dry, there are many complex problems that take a lot of different things into account, and sometimes the best answer to a problem is to be adaptable.
There are many questions where the best answer is “it depends” and the roadmap is not always clear. There is a great deal of decision making as you go and adapting your plan using the best information
What have been the most rewarding moments in your studies so far?
The most rewarding part of my studies is being able to see what I am learning being put into practice on clinical placement. To be able to make connections from the classroom to helping community members in real time.