Few of us use our daily 24 hours as productively as Paige Crozon.

The 28-year-old sharpshooter for Canada’s FIBA 3x3 Women’s Team takes multi-hyphenate to a new level, balancing a playing career, coaching career and volunteering on top of being a single mom to four-year-old daughter Poppy. The Humboldt, Sask. native was given an assist this year as she was named to the 2023 inaugural class of the SimiSleighs Foundation Athlete Grant Program.

“I'm so honoured and humbled to be in the inaugural class of the SimiSleighs Foundation,” Crozon said. “The two other athletes that I'm with, one is a two-time an Olympian and the other one is a six time Paralympian. I am incredibly humbled to be in this class and to work with such a prestigious organization that is working on finding avenues to support women in sport.”

Founded by Olympic skeleton racer Simidele “Simi” Adeagbo, the mission of SimiSleighs is to build a better world for girls and women through sport. The Athlete Grant Program serves to empower female Olympic and Paralympic athletes and hopefuls from around the world through a one-year program designed to support personal and professional development. In addition to development and support, recipients also receive up to $10,000 USD in financial assistance to cover expenses related to training to represent their country at an upcoming Olympic or Paralympic Games.

Crozon was selected from more than 350 applicants as one of three recipients of this year’s grant program, alongside American Paralympic wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden and Egyptian Olympian pentathlete Haydy Adel Morsy. Crozon’s selection means extra assistance on and off court as she continues to work toward helping Canada’s Women’s 3x3 team qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The journey begins with the FIBA 3x3 Women’s World Cup, taking place May 30-June 4 in Rathausplatz, Vienna.

When Crozon isn’t serving as assistant coach for the University of Lethbridge Women’s Basketball Team, or team manager of the Living Skies Indigenous Basketball League, Crozon has been dominating with Canada’s 3x3 Women’s team since its inception in 2019. Canada claimed the 2022 Women’s Series title last season, as well as winning the FIBA AmeriCup. Crozon is currently the 3rd ranked player in the world. After settling for a silver at last year’s World Cup, she’d like to add a gold to her collection.

“Last year was unbelievable,” Crozon said. “We didn't really know what to expect. It was our first World Cup, so we had kind of had no expectations going into the World Cup last year because it was so foreign to all of us.

“Because we had [such] a good season last year, we were able to have more resources in place to support our training for this upcoming season,” Crozon continued. “With those additional resources, we've been able to connect with the Canadian Sport Institute, and have more access to physiotherapists and sports psychologists, just having additional resources.”

Crozon and teammates Kacie Bosch, Michelle Plouffe and Katherine Plouffe had a mini training camp in Toronto last weekend in preparation for the World Cup. They used the OVO Athletic Centre, the Toronto Raptors practice facility, as their home base.

“It was so good to come to Toronto as a group and then to have the support from the Toronto community to come out and play against us,” Crozon said. “We had four separate squads from the community that we played over the course of the weekend. We really appreciate the help getting us prepared for the World Cup. We had such great competition while we were there. Toronto was such a unique experience, the energy and excitement around the sport is palpable. It was so nice to be at the OVO Centre.”

Extra resources from the Canadian Sports Institute, along with the support from Crozon’s Athlete Grant Program have already made a huge impact on her training. When the team flew to Toronto, Crozon was able to bring her daughter along with her.

“As a mom, just to be able to have that kind of support, I think it just makes it a little bit more sustainable for our career,” Crozon said. “I feel more prepared physically going into the season, as well as mentally. I've had more opportunities to kind of recharge going into this World Cup and to the 3x3 season. We all play the sport at this stage of our career because we have so much joy and passion playing and we genuinely enjoy playing with one another, and I think that shows on the court. So going into [this year’s World Cup], we're just focusing on the things that are in our control and continuing to play with the energy and joyfulness that has brought us success thus far.”

Though Crozon’s daughter is just four years old, she’s a mainstay at the gym where she “trains” alongside her mother for this year’s 3x3 Women’s Series. Crozon regularly documents their sessions on her Instagram where Poppy is already a star.

Canada’s 3x3 Team had a familiar face on the sidelines in Toronto as Canada Basketball legend and three-time Olympian Kim Gaucher was working with the team.

“Such a fantastic addition to our team,” Crozon said. “She's a three-time Olympian! She played on the Senior Women's National Team for so long, just to be able to have that insight is so good for us. She has been such an invaluable resource for me. Previously, I've just kind of stayed quiet and tried to figure it out with accommodations and travel for Poppy when I'm away and when I'm playing and she's just been so empowering, [reminding me it’s okay to be] able to ask for support, be able to ask for help. There is strength and vulnerability in stating you need to be successful as a mom and realizing that this is important.”

Being able to coach, train, volunteer, study (Crozon recently completed her Master of Business Administration), and keep up with Poppy is a delicate balancing act. Crozon is always quick to point to the support system she and Poppy have in place off-court as well.

“In all the organizations that I'm part of, it's not me doing it by myself,” she said. “There's always a system behind it, and I'm one of many people that help it be successful. I think all those skills are what you learn in sport, which has really helped me and then in my personal life, where I am a single mom. But what I am so proud of is just the village around me of other strong women that have kind of stepped up and recognized that what I'm doing is important and have been willing to help.”

Crozon credits both her mother and sister for helping to care for Poppy when she is traveling or competing with the 3x3 team, but whenever possible, Poppy is there on the sideline cheering the team on and sometimes can be found in the timeout huddle, providing her own words of encouragement.

“I think it’s important for her to see these role models,” Crozon said. “She loves Kacie Bosch so much and she and Kacie always get their reps up when we’re at the gym.”

As important as it is for Poppy to be around strong female role models in sport, Crozon also wants to show young female athletes that they do not need to choose between the sport they love and other things that they want to have in their lives.

“I think it’s important when I coach youth teams and am involved in youth programs, they see me with my daughter, managing my career,” Crozon said. “They’ll also see the humanity in that. I’ll come in with cheerios in my hair, or I’ll have to step away to parent Poppy, and they’ll see I value family first, even when I’m contributing in these spaces.

I think it's important for young women to see a representation of women managing a family, but also pursuing things that make them happy.”