Having been heavily involved in sport and recreation his entire life, Braeden McKenzie knew it was something he wanted to study in university, if given the opportunity. After graduating with an undergraduate degree from the Physical Education Program at the University of Alberta, he was really interested in understanding athletes’ experiences with injury.
He explored the possibility of a more applied master’s degree, like physical or occupational therapy, but eventually decided he was interested in research. That brought him to the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), where he began working with Associate Professor Lynda Mainwaring, exploring young athletes’ experiences with concussions.
“The biggest takeaway from that work was that risk is absolutely central to understanding attitudes or behaviours surrounding injury,” says McKenzie. “So, it felt like a natural step back then to centre risk in my PhD work.”
By that point, his thinking was becoming more critically and socially engaged, informed by faculty like Associate Professor Emeritus Margaret MacNeill and Professor Michael Atkinson.
“Eventually, my project really became much broader than originally intended, but I think it ended up exactly where it needed to be,” says McKenzie, who will be graduating this week, along with more than 5,700 students set to graduate from U of T this fall.
McKenzie says Mainwaring, MacNeill and Atkinson, all three of whom were on his master’s and PhD supervisory committees, were integral in getting him to where he is today.
“Each brought something different to the table in terms of expertise, but as a collective, we just all meshed really well together,” says McKenzie. “I would always book 90-minute committee meetings thinking it’d be more than enough time to cover what we needed to, but almost every meeting during my degrees ran over time because we would sort of get lost in conversation and discussion.
“Above all else, they each instilled an ability to be thoughtful and critical in my approach to research.
“I try to bring those things forward in everything I do now—not just in research.”
Other things on top of his highlights list? The friendships he made throughout his time in KPE and, in terms of research, working with Assistant Professors Janelle Joseph and Sabrina Razack on the Ontario University Athletic (OUA) anti-racism project.
“Both of them are just unbelievable scholars and people and we had such a great team of research assistants, so it was a really awesome thing to be a part of.”
His advice for students following in his footsteps is to “try to really enjoy and embrace their time as a student, as cliché as it sounds.”
“Having the time to think, read and write without some of the other pressures that come along later in life is truly such a gift,” says McKenzie. “I already miss it!
“I know it can be stressful and busy and all of these things; but when you have a chance, take some time to appreciate the freedom that being a student at any level can provide.”
McKenzie also recommends finding “your people”.
“Being a student can be a pretty isolating experience sometimes,” he says. “Having friends or colleagues with that shared experience, especially in grad school, is so important.”
Up next for McKenzie is a little bit of everything. He works full time at the University of Victoria in the equity and human rights office. He is still actively involved in research, working with University of Waterloo Assistant Professor Kaleigh Pennock, a fellow KPE grad, as a post-doctoral fellow. He also still teaches remotely at the University of Alberta every so often. Personally, he and his partner have a one and three-year old.
“Life is busy, but also such a joy,” he says.