N.W.T. biathlete Brendan Green reflects on post-Olympics life

For the last three Winter Olympics, Brendan Green of Hay River, N.W.T., was in the middle of the action. 

Green, a biathlete and cross-country skier, was a member of Team Canada during the Vancouver, Sochi and PyeongChang Winter Olympics. 

But this year marks the first winter games since Green's retirement from competitive sport in 2019, and for the first time in over a decade, he is watching from home. 

"Any spare second I have, I've got the Olympics going and I'm watching whatever I can," said Green. 

After spending so much of his life competing at the highest levels of his sports, the 35-year-old says moving on to new pursuits has been a big adjustment. 

"Oh, for sure, I miss it," he said. "And I always will. I always tell people I had the best job in the world, when I was competing and racing at that level. 

"But at the same time, I know what it takes to get there, and it's such hard work. So in some ways, I'm happy to have moved on from that. But it'll always be special when the Winter Olympics come around and I'll watch it religiously, no doubt." 

Green is sharing this moment with his wife Rosanna Crawford, a fellow Olympian who also retired from competitive biathlon in 2019. 

He says watching the games from home is bringing back fond memories for both of them. 

"We're able to share perspectives a lot and also reminisce about all the moments and time together that we spent at the last three Olympics," said Green. "Just lots of little things — like, when we watched the opening ceremonies together, I'm sure we both had goosebumps when Team Canada entered the stadium, and just remembering what that felt like."

Green says he and Crawford have been supporting each other on this new chapter in their lives, which has made a big difference. 

"We're going through that transition together, which honestly has been really good to be able to lean on each other for that support," he said. 

Cheering on the team

Though Green may be far away from his friends and former teammates in Beijing, he is still eager to cheer them on and get all their news. 

"Some of my best friends are competing right now," he said. "We know all the athletes, we trained with them for a number of years, and that definitely makes it a little more exciting for us as well.

"We actually have a group chat with a lot of my buddies, so every day or after every race, we'll touch base a little bit in the group chat and kind of get their perspective and opinion on how things are going."

But watching the Games — rather than being in them — also leaves more time to take on other projects and enjoy life in a different way, Green said. 

"I'm getting to do a lot of things now that I wasn't able to in the past," he said. "As an athlete, you have to make a lot of sacrifices."

Green is now planning to pursue a career in ultrasonography, and is currently in Yellowknife finishing his practicum. 

"It's a totally new path for me," he said. "And it's so different, but it's fun."