“It’s been a long summer, and a lot has gone into it, but it’s been amazing.”
That’s from Lethbridge’s Paige Crozon, a member of the Canadian women’s 3×3 basketball team that competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing fourth.
Crozon, who is also an assistant coach for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s basketball team, says it has been nice to be back home and spend time with her five-year-old daughter. Her experience overseas was one she will never forget.
“I’ve dreamed about competing in the Olympics for about 20 years so to be in that environment – the first time I walked onto the court at practice – it literally left me breathless. To play in those venues and on that stage was amazing,” she remarks.
Before getting into ‘game mode’, Crozon says she “took some time and just reflected on how cool it was to be in that environment.”
She adds that participating in the Games, along with the journey leading up to the grand stage, came with a lot of emotions.
“I don’t think I realized before this process, just the emotional toll that it takes to get to the Olympics. The journey is so consuming, which makes it so incredible but then also so heartbreaking when you don’t get the results you want,” Crozon says.
Team Canada lost in the bronze medal game to the United States. Germany took home the gold, with Spain capturing silver.
Crozon explains that the team participated in multiple training camps, along with the Olympic qualification process, which started in May, and lasted for about five weeks. Leading up to the Games, she says Team Canada competed in Japan and Europe.
Despite how taxing travel and competition can be, Crozon thanks her teammates for their support and boost of energy. Her Olympic teammates included sisters Michelle and Katherine Plouffe, and Lethbridge’s Kacie Bosch.
Crozon says she has been playing with the Plouffe siblings for five years and with Bosch for three, “so we definitely have so much trust amongst one another, and I think that’s something that’s contributed to our success in 3×3.”
“Just to be able to be [on] this journey with them for so many years and to achieve our goal, something we’ve been working toward, was amazing.”
“There was definitely that delayed gratification,” Crozon adds.
Despite the bronze medal game loss, she says the team received many messages of support from fans and fellow Canadians.
“[I’m] really humbled by the amount of people that tuned in and then the amount of support and encouraging messages – and uplifting messages – after we lost in the bronze medal game. I think that’s something that’s just helped me move past some of the grief and hurt from losing and not getting the results we wanted, just to be able to zoom out, see the bigger picture and have perspective of the impact that we were able to have and just all the people we were able to share it with,” Crozon comments.
ATMOSPHERE
Crozon says in addition to the on-court experience, her time in Paris “was like the best day of my life every day for three weeks straight”.
“It was so incredible to be there.”
She notes that she was able to watch other events, including the men’s basketball team in action and the women’s volleyball bronze medal match.
“Just being in the [Olympic] Village and around so many athletes that are at the pinnacle of their sport is so cool, and it’s just so humbling just to see their demeanor and the humility and unity that is in the athlete’s village,” Crozon adds.
“Then we spent some time traveling Paris after our event ended. We got to see the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower, which was another moment that gave me goosebumps. We just got to enjoy and soak in the experience.”
Although the Olympics are done, the on-court action continues for Crozon. She competes professionally as part of the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series. The last stop on the circuit is the Women’s Series final, which starts in China on September 7.
Once that is complete, Crozon says she looks forward to having more time to process the past year, rest and recover and spend quality time with her daughter.
The local Olympian shares some advice for young female athletes.
“What I always hope for more than anything for my daughter is for her to find an amazing group of friends and teammates like I found within my teammates – just [people] you can be yourself with [and provide] a safe place – people that just trust you entirely and you trust them. I think that’s something so rare and special and to have found that with three teammates that we went to the Olympics with is really incredible,” she says.
Crozon adds, “Find something that you love doing and that you’re passionate about, that brings you joy and do that as much as you can and as long as you can.”
