Paige Crozon is in Saskatoon this week after making her Olympic debut in Paris. The 3x3 basketball star brought back inspiration for some young athletes.
At a community camp on Aug. 15, the impact of Crozon's guidance was palpable. The young athletes were excited to be around an Olympian and three-time World Champion on the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series circuit.
The camp was organized by Jumpthruhoops, a youth development group that works to break barriers to accessing basketball.
Crozon said she was excited to give back to the community that has supported her. She said she faced her share of barriers growing up in Humboldt, Sask.
"I grew up in a town of 5,000 and went on to earn a scholarship playing basketball, and then played professionally, and then I became a single parent to my five-year-old daughter, Poppy," Paige said.
"I wasn't able to return to 5-on-5 professionally because of the family that I had. So made the pivot to 3x3 basketball and fortunately, it worked out."
Sheron Lau, CEO of Jumpthruhoops, said navigating the sports system can be challenging.
"I think we have funnelled a lot of student-athletes through programs that are now highly successful. And our goal is to mentor the youth, and then in turn, when they get to a certain age, they can mentor the younger generation," she said.
Lennon Tanton, one of the participants at the camp, said it was "iconic" to be able to learn from Crozon.
"It has been so much fun with all my friends, and it has such a good environment here, and it's super calming … being around a sport that you love so much," she said.
Crozon is also competing for Team Canada at the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series this weekend in Saskatoon, coinciding with the YXE Urban Games in Victoria Park.
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Paige Crozon