For Skylar Bown, helping others isn’t just part of her career—it’s her calling.

The 2022 graduate of the first UBC Master of Physical Therapy – North (MPT-N) cohort at UNBC was named a recipient of a 2024–25 UBC Alumni Builder Award, recognizing alumni who have made meaningful contributions to the university and their communities.

Bown is the co-founder of Remote Rehab, a virtual physiotherapy service aimed at closing the care gap for rural, northern, and Indigenous communities across British Columbia.

The idea for Remote Rehab was sparked during her time in the MPT-N program in Prince George, where she and her partner, a physical therapy graduate of UBC’s MPT-Vancouver program, conducted a research project exploring virtual physiotherapy delivery to Fort St. James.

“This project opened our eyes to the reach which virtual physiotherapy can have across the province,” explains Bown. “We saw so much value in the time efficiency, effectiveness, and accessibility, so we wanted to create something that would have an impact on those gaps in rural care and access to physiotherapy.”

Since launching in December 2023, Remote Rehab has provided virtual services through Northern Health hospitals in Quesnel and Fort St. John, and has worked with clients in communities like Haida Gwaii, Likely, Likely, Lillooet, Powell River and Quadra Island.

“We’ve found that this has allowed patients to have a sense of self-efficacy as it puts the onus and responsibility for recovery and rehabilitation on themselves with the knowledge and skills we have provided them,” says Bown. “It’s both fulfilling for the physio providing the care and the patient.”

In addition to her clinical work, Bown, who is based in Kelowna, promotes the power of sport for community building and healing. She coaches track and field, and chairs KidSport Kelowna, leading efforts to remove financial and social barriers to youth participation in athletics.

Looking back on her time at UNBC, Bown reflects fondly on the unique connection shared among her classmates as part of the first UBC MPT-N cohort.

“Moving to PG alone was nerve-wracking until I met the most incredible friends, who have since become amazing practitioners,” she says. “In the fall of 2021, we took a camping trip to Raven Lake with all of us and stayed in the cabin up there. That’s part of the beauty of the North—the incredible hikes! It was a great way to bond over card games and cold plunges.”