Jayden King Becomes Ontario’s First Black Brier Skip

McMaster University student Jayden King is making history at the 2026 Montana’s Brier as Team Ontario’s first Black skip, stepping onto one of curling’s biggest national stages while completing a demanding graduate program in physiotherapy.

King is a student in McMaster’s Master of Science Physiotherapy Program and a longtime competitive curler whose leadership on the ice has developed alongside his academic focus on rehabilitation science. For King, the path to physiotherapy grew naturally from years spent in sport.

“Through my childhood and my undergrad I had a strong background in sport from success as a competitive curler,” he said. His undergraduate degree in Human Kinetics focused on human anatomy and biomechanics. Working with different populations, from elite athletes to older adults, helped shape his career goals. “The common ground between everyone was the enjoyment of understanding pain-free, efficient movement and I wanted to be able to facilitate that.”

King’s introduction to curling began in 2012 after watching the sport on television 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,” he said.

His junior career took him to teams based in London, Hamilton, Kingston and Ottawa. Along the way he captured the 2023 Ontario Junior Championship and the 2024 Ontario Mixed Championships, representing the province at national events before reaching the sport’s most prestigious men’s championship.

Now at the 2026 Montana’s Brier, King is also marking a milestone for representation in the sport.

“Representation on the largest stage in curling is super important and means a lot to me,” he said. “Just as the demographics of Canada are changing, so are the demographics of curling.”

Balancing elite sport with an intensive health professional program has shaped his perspective both as a student and a future clinician. King says his experiences as an athlete dealing with injury, rehabilitation and time pressures have strengthened his empathy toward patients.

“Balancing elite sport with an intense academic program has shown me the disadvantages of rigid structures and the need to be adaptable,” he said.

Support from teammates, coaches and fellow physiotherapy students has helped him manage those pressures. He describes the physiotherapy cohort as a tight knit community where students share both victories and struggles.

Looking ahead, King hopes to focus on accessible, client centred care. “I want to make sure that the work I do is accessible to as many people as possible,” he said.

For students entering the profession, he offers simple advice drawn from both sport and study. “The most important thing is to be comfortable with the grey,” he said, noting that many clinical decisions depend on adapting to complex situations.

#JaydenKing #Brier2026 #CanadianCurling #BlackAthletes #OntarioCurling #RepresentationMatters #DiversityInSports #CaribbeanCamera #BlackExcellence #SportsHistory #McMasterUniversity #CurlingCanada