On several occasions in the weeks and months leading up to the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, Sudbury native and Team Canada boccia representative Lance Cryderman had made note of just how different an athlete he was from his inaugural appearance at the Games.

Twenty-four years in between the two highlights can do that to any athlete.

Truth be told, however, it wasn’t just Cryderman the athlete, the person, who was clearly not a carbon-copy of the version who first participated at the celebration of sporting resilience at the 2000 festivities in Sydney, Australia.

Much of the environment that enveloped Cryderman his fellow athletes had changed – evolved in some cases, but not necessarily in others.

“I can tell you that my experience from 2000 was very different,” noted the 43 year old Laurentian University employee who tackles his daily journey with cerebral palsy with conviction and optimism.

“There was no such thing as a Media Zone at the Paralympics in 2000,” Cryderman continued. “We had interviews from CTV, CBC – and I never experienced that back in the day. Having to face a camera right after a loss was a little bit challenging, but I got through it.”

A tough pool draw would limit the on-court experience of one of four members of the Canadian Para-Boccia team, with Cryderman going 0-2 in the preliminary round, a two-game set that included a 5-1 loss at the hands of John Loung from Hong Kong, a young man who bested Korean Sungjoon Jung 4-1 in the gold medal encounter.

But Cryderman is not one to let a silver lining slip by undetected.

“Because the competition ended early for me, I actually had a couple of extra days where I was able to travel around the city a little bit more and see some of the sights with my wife,” he said.

“We actually got up to the second level of the Eiffel Tower; the view even from that level is incredible.”

For the most part, Cryderman waxed poetic about much that the Paris Games had to offer – though he could not, unfortunately, give it a thumbs up rating right across the board.

“Honestly, I don’t know if this will be great for the people from Paris to hear, but I have to be honest and I felt that the Opening Ceremonies in Sydney were more extravagant than the ones in Paris, 24 years later.”

“Now any time you can be part of the Athlete Parade at these events, that’s incredible,” Cryderman added. “Being able to come into a stadium and see the crowd was incredible. But as far as the show goes, I was surprised. It wasn’t as flashy as I thought it was going to be.”

That sentiment, however, ran upstream against the wave of praise that the northern product offered in so many areas, including the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the gathering place for the 124 athletes who took part in the Boccia competition.

“It was one of the most beautiful venues that I’ve ever seen,” said Cryderman. “They really, really outdid themselves in terms of the surface and the presentation of the boccia courts.”

“The venue was brilliant; I loved it.”

Cryderman also raved about much of the interaction he enjoyed in so many different regards during his time in the City of Lights in August and September. “One of the things that really stands out with Paris was the volunteers and how much they really seemed invested in the boccia itself, wanting to understand a very unique sport.”

“A lot of them would come to us and ask questions.”

On the court, Cryderman was left wanting – though that was from a personal assessment standpoint only. “If I am being honest, I didn’t feel that I honestly played up to my abilities,” he suggested candidly. “For whatever reason, in those moments when it counted, whether it be nerves or whether it was nerves and spasticity (due to the cerebral palsy), I wasn’t able to execute.”

That said, there were lessons that were learned in Australia at the turn of the millennium, including some key takeaways to carry forward through the decades ahead.

“I think when I was able to get out there, on the court for the first time, and soak it in, in competition, I felt that I was really happy to be there and wanting to compete,” said Cryderman.

“That is going to stick out with me.”

To boot, the presence of 23 year-old teammate Danik Allard, who along with Iulian Ciobanu and Alison Levine rounded out the maple leaf contingent, added to the moment for Cryderman.

“Watching Danik, experiencing his first Paralympics with him, that was special.”

And special is worth revisiting – again and again.

“When the competition ended early, one of the first things that popped into my head was: I guess I am going to L.A.,” said Cryderman, alluding to the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles.

“Realistically, of course, I have to look at things,” he added. “I need to find a new Sport Assistant (Nick Dunham is moving on). That’s a bit of a challenge sometimes because it’s quite the commitment.”

And, of course, Los Angeles is likely to be a little different than both Paris and Sydney.

Still, there must be somebody out there looking to volunteer. It could be quite a journey.