A Petro-Canada FACE Grant is helping Team King invest in high-performance training and competition as the skip balances elite curling with physiotherapy studies at McMaster University.
A young curler from Courtland is getting some help as he works toward another shot at the Canadian men's curling championship.
Jayden King, skip of Team King, is among the recipients of a 2026 Petro-Canada FACE Grant; the Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence program provides $10,000 to athlete-coach pairs to help them pursue their sporting goals.
The funding can go toward training, equipment, education and travel — all important investments for athletes competing at a high level. King says the grant has helped his team compete against top opponents and invest in the resources needed to keep improving.
The support comes as Team King works through a busy season of competition, travelling to events across Canada to gain experience and points.
The team's major target is the Ontario playdowns in January. The winner earns a berth at the Brier, Canada's national men's curling championship, and King hopes to get back there after competing at the event last season.
Away from the curling rink, King is also pursuing a physiotherapy degree at McMaster University. Balancing the demands of school and competitive sport requires careful time management, and he says the university has helped accommodate his competition schedule and exam commitments.
That flexibility allows him to keep working toward his academic goals while continuing to compete at the highest level he can.
The Petro-Canada FACE program supports athlete-coach pairs working toward Olympic and Paralympic aspirations. Since its launch in 1988, the program has invested more than $15 million in over 3,500 Canadian athletes and coaches.
For King and his team, the grant is another resource as they pursue their next goal: earning a return trip to the Brier.
