After a devastating crash during training in 2018, Manny Osborne-Paradis was determined to race on the FIS World Cup circuit again, even after having 13 screws placed in his rebuilt left leg.
From a physical standpoint, the Whistler Mountain Ski Club alum was well on track to achieve that goal in 2020-21, but even after putting in two years of hard rehabilitation, Osborne-Paradis opted to retire, making his decision official with an announcement on Oct. 13.
Osborne-Paradis, 36, said that having to spend a season hunkered down in Europe away from his family鈥攄uring a pandemic, no less鈥攚as too much to bear.
鈥淥ne is that, with COVID, I鈥檓 going to have to be away from my family so much for this,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his has already been quite an uphill battle to get back.鈥�
While rehab was a challenging process that didn鈥檛 end up with the planned payoff, Osborne-Paradis said, especially with two young kids at home, he鈥檚 been better served for having done it.
鈥淎t the end of the day, I put in all the work because I wanted to get back, but it needed to be done. Without the determination to want to get back, I wouldn鈥檛 be where I am today,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y body feels really good 鈥� I can go for a run. I can go mountain biking. I鈥檝e been going on some hikes. It鈥檚 pretty good.聽
鈥淓very time I take the next step and I鈥檓 worried that it鈥檚 going to swell up and be so painful, it鈥檚 the complete opposite. I don鈥檛 feel it the next day. Everything鈥檚 great.
鈥淭he rehab was tough, but now I get to live my best life now because of it.鈥�
Osborne-Paradis, who grew up in North Vancouver and now lives in Invermere, was originally set to rejoin the team for the tail end of the 2019-20 campaign, but at an appointment to remove one of the screws, , which set him back.
鈥淚 was going to have to take this winter as a progression to snow and to racing and then, hopefully at the end of the season, go in a couple races, which is fine,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a commitment to go over to Europe for months on end, with a two-week quarantine.鈥�
That led Osborne-Paradis to consider his health during the pandemic, in light of how many different public spaces he鈥檇 have to enter.
Osborne-Paradis said the 鈥渢ipping point鈥� for him was watching the documentary The Weight of Gold, which covers the mental-health challenges faced by Olympic athletes including Michael Phelps, Lolo Jones, Bode Miller and Shaun White.
At his first training session after watching it, Osborne-Paradis was doing one-kilometre sprints and his decision came quickly.
鈥淵ou get to the point where you keep pushing, where you want more鈥攚hat I鈥檝e done my whole career鈥擨 literally just stopped halfway through and started walking,鈥� he said. 鈥淎t the end, I just said, 鈥業 think I鈥檓 done鈥� and that was it.
鈥淚 walked back to the car, went home and I told my wife.鈥�
While Osborne-Paradis said that he鈥檇 never felt some of the extreme issues the documentary delves into, such as suicide and deep depression, it was another reminder of the battle that awaited him ahead.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e fighting for your best interests and the team鈥檚 always fighting for the team鈥檚 best interests and it鈥檚 always kind of a grind,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to have to fend for myself to get training.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e always fighting the system.鈥�
The four-time Olympian, who had a best Games finish of 13th in the downhill in Turin in 2006, had many individual accomplishments over the course of his career, winning three World Cup races and podiuming seven other times, as well as claiming his first World Championships medal, a bronze, in super-G in 2017.
Even so, Osborne-Paradis鈥� fondest moments are touring with fellow Canadian Cowboys Benjamin Thomsen, Erik Guay, Francois Bourque, John Kucera, Dustin Cook, Mike Janyk and Jan Hudec.
鈥淲hen I look back, the biggest and proudest moment I have鈥攁nd it鈥檚 funny to me because it鈥檚 an individual sport鈥攊s the Canadian Cowboy team, being part of something so special,鈥� he said.
Osborne Paradis said that between Crazy Canucks and the Cowboys, there were strong racers like Thomas Grandi and Rob Boyd, but the Cowboys were the next successful group of male Canadian skiers.
鈥淲ith it being a group, it was just so fun to show up to races every weekend and being able to podium,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lmost every Canadian Cowboy has a World Championship medal, so to be part of that group, the camaraderie that we have and spending decades together, it鈥檚 the best memory.
鈥淲e had our spats and we had our victories, but we never questioned the process. We never really understood how good we were, but looking back, it was a fantastic time to be part of ski racing.鈥�
Next up for Osborne-Paradis is completing an undergraduate degree in business and entrepreneurial studies at Royal Roads University over the next two years.
Taking a page from his training approach as an athlete for how to properly prepare, Osborne-Paradis concluded that his education was the top priority.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to finish my undergrad and then I鈥檇 have the right tools for the jobs I want to participate in,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 love to be associated to Alpine Canada or BC Alpine or just the ski world in general in an executive manner.鈥�
When he鈥檚 ready to take that plunge, Osborne-Paradis shouldn鈥檛 have any trouble lining something up.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 told anybody that I鈥檓 retiring and I鈥檝e had so many job offers,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy. I didn鈥檛 think that was going to happen.
鈥淎 couple of my mentors said, 鈥楾ake your time. Wade through the offers. Figure out what鈥檚 important to you.鈥欌��
Ever since coming to the conclusion that his racing days are behind him, Osborne-Paradis has come to be more at peace all the time.
鈥淓very day, I鈥檝e felt better and better about this decision,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like a weight lifted off my shoulders, and not trying to be the best in the world at something every day is a relief.鈥�
