With daughter Poppy by her side, Canada’s Crozon chases Olympic basketball dream | CBC Sports

Paige and Poppy Crozon walk into a dinner room in Bordeaux, France, over 7,000 kilometres from home in Lethbridge, Alta.

Inside are basketball players who have watched Poppy, 4, traverse the world with her mom as she attempts to help Canada earn a spot in women’s 3×3 at the Paris Olympics.

“Such a warm welcome from the other teams because they’re like, ‘Oh, Poppy! We knew you since you were a baby in 2019.’ And she of course is so overwhelmed, but it brought goosebumps to me as well, because … they only see her a couple of times every year, so then they really notice the growth. So that was a really proud moment for me,” Paige Crozon recalled to CBC Sports recently.

Crozon, 28, is raising Poppy as a single mom while also managing the Living Skies Indigenous Basketball League, serving as an assistant coach on the University of Lethbridge’s women’s basketball team and of, course, pursuing an Olympic dream.

Originally from Humboldt, Sask., Crozon has played on Canada’s 3×3 team since 2019 alongside Kacie Bosch and Katherine and Michelle Plouffe. She’s also the only player who’s showed up at every single stop for Canada on both the 2022 and 2023 Women’s Series tours, including earlier in July in Bordeaux.

Crozon was there for the heartbreak of the Tokyo Olympics, when a quirky rule prevented Canada’s women’s team from even attempting to qualify. The men’s team instead received that opportunity but did not advance to Tokyo.

Olympics ‘would be huge’

The core four returns to the court Saturday for the Women’s Series stop in Edmonton, the first of three Canadian events this season. Live coverage begins at noon ET on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

“I started playing [3×3] when Poppy was eight months old and I’m very fortunate to have her along with me every step of the way. It’s included so many hours of her and I being in the gym and I think as a result she’s excited about sports and passionate about basketball,” Crozon said.

“It would be a huge moment for my entire family, for Poppy and I, to get that Olympic qualification spot.”

The simplest way to reach the Olympics would be for Canada to finish the season in the top three of FIBA’s rankings — however, a complicated points allotment system makes that unlikely, even though Canada’s already won one tournament and placed third in another this season.

Otherwise, there are three Olympic qualifying tournaments with five additional spots available. Eight teams per gender will compete in Paris.

“It’s been such a journey to get there. But this is exactly what we are working towards and that’s the goal of our team is to finish with a medal around our necks in 2024,” Crozon said.

Connection with Kim Gaucher

In a step toward that goal, Canada Basketball hired former national-team player Kim Gaucher as the 3×3 team’s first-ever head coach in May.

Gaucher played traditional basketball in Tokyo — and became the centre of a major pre-Olympic story when organizers originally disallowed her newborn daughter Sophie from attending due to COVID-19 restrictions.

But Gaucher fought back, and organizers eased the rules.

“Kim has been such a great resource for me as a mom, just advocating for mothers in sport and some of the additional support that I have needed as a mom,” Crozon said.

Meanwhile, Poppy and Sophie formed a friendship during training camp in Toronto ahead of the 2023 3×3 World Cup.

“They became besties,” Gaucher told CBC Sports. “We said we’re growing the next 3×3 team for like 20 years from now. We’ve got them training early, we’ve got them familiarizing themselves with each other early.”

Gaucher said she views Crozon as a role model for athletes who may be struggling with the decision of whether to have children.

“I think she’s out here showing that that you can do both. I think [in] 2024 we’re going to be able to say that she’s an Olympian and a mom. She was able to come back. And she’s just showing that it can be done. I mean, especially her as a single mom, she’s incredible. It’s really fun to watch. Really proud of her,” Gaucher said.

“And Poppy is pretty cool too.”

Indigenous league

Outside of Poppy, Crozon’s life is fully dedicated to basketball — something she completely embraces. She was first contacted about Living Skies, the Indigenous basketball league which offers participation to youth at no cost, by Mike Tanton, who was chef de mission for Team Saskatchewan at the North American Indigenous Games.

She said it’s been a “life-changing experience.”

“We have incredible athletes, coaches, volunteer staff that are part of it that all just want to see kids have access to sport and reap the benefits of sport bring while also providing really valuable workshops and cultural education sessions off the court,” Crozon explained.

Crozon said her goal now is to keep growing Living Skies, which has accepted over 1,700 registrants since its inception in 2021. She added that one of the biggest growth areas over the past year was the number of girls who signed up in both the junior and senior divisions.

“I think being someone that’s benefited from having access to sport and being able to play sports my whole life, I’m proud that [Poppy has] kind of seen like the work ethic involved and then also just the amazing role models that she’s had throughout the journey,” Crozon said.

Crozon joined the Lethbridge team in 2020 — the U Sports season begins right around the time her 3×3 season ends, providing a quick turnaround and little downtime.

But when she does get a moment or two away from the court, Crozon said it’s inevitably spent with Poppy.

“She learned how to ride her bike without training wheels this summer, which I’m really proud of her. So all activities cater around Poppy when it’s not basketball, but often we get to go swimming and watch movies” she said. “And I really value that time that I get to spend with her.”