Simply put, I'm very drawn to people who I stand to learn a lot from, especially if their field of expertise is a hobby or passing interest of mine. I learn by example and am very competitive, so having that sort of energy in my life pushes me to become a better person. In this case, over a decade of unfocused practice places me at the dreaded 14-15 second plateau. She was well under 10.
And really, can you blame Paris? Wisdom would mean understanding the unknown, the harsh truths of the world. Besides, I'm not sure choosing Athena would have changed much. The gods are cunning and vengeful. No doubt the righteous Athena had a trick up her sleeve.
Athena had more than a trick up her sleeve. She had a trickster. I'm sure Odysseus was one of her lifelong devotees.