Jodie Grinham becomes the first pregnant athlete to win a Paralympic medal
Seven months pregnant Jodie Grinham reached bronze in compound women’s at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, drawing the attention of the whole Paralympic community.
The 31-year-old archer beat her teammate and the defending champion Phoebe Paterson Pine in a sensational bronze medal match. Jodie trailed by 2 points ahead of the last end, but she pulled out a nine and two 10s to capture a medal.
“I wasn’t expecting that. I knew I could do it, but I didn’t mean ‘yeah, I’m gonna win a medal’. There was no guarantee,” she claimed.
Shooting seven months pregnant, Jodie naturally turned out fan-favourite and made headlines across the international media. The official channel of the Paris 2024 Paralympics applauded her achievement, too.
Grinham became the first pregnant athlete on the Paralympic podium.
“That’s one of the biggest things I’ve said in interviews. I know people were already going to look at me and say ‘Oh, well done, you’ve done it. You’ve competed pregnant’. But I didn’t want that. I wanted more.”
“I wanted to show that I am not here to participate pregnant. I am here to compete and win medals pregnant. And I think I got that cross, which I’m really glad about,” Grinham said.
Jodie won three tight matches en route to bronze. The only defeat she sustained came from the dominant Oznur Cure Girdi, who eventually raced to the Paralympic gold.
She said she could feel the baby kicking. And she got much more emotional.
“I definitely cried more than ever before, which is probably something!”
Grinham needed to adapt her shooting to the new circumstances.
“We’ve had to change stabilisation because the front is definitely becoming more heavy. It’s been the key to make sure about even daily changes. If I need to add weight, I just do it,” she explained.
She knew what she was signing up for. And she never complained.
“I accept that today is different. If the baby goes into my back, then I tip a bit more. So then we change the weight in the stabilisation again,” the bronze medalist went on, describing the adjustments she had to implement.
“It’s something that you do. Professional archers change equipment on the line 24/7. It’s no different than being pregnant. You’ve just got to be more aware about your body.”
Jodie’s aspiration wasn’t to participate. She came to Paris with an aim to compete, and her bronze is the best proof.
The enormous media attention astonished even herself. But it helped her to send the message she aimed for.
“I didn’t realise how much it’s an inspiration and how much people were interested and being affected by this,” Grinham frankly admitted.
“I didn’t want people to see as others a pregnant lady going to the Games. I want them to see: ‘Wow, a pregnant lady can compete at the highest level and get a medal’.”
“I wanted to show anything is possible. Just go and do it. If you want to do it, then do it.”
Jodie pins her hope on reaching other women and inspiring them. Despite her hand disability, she can successfully compete and enjoy motherhood. She had a son two years ago and could come back.
“There has always been the stigma behind women in sport. Once they have a baby, their career ends, and that’s not the case.”
“It doesn’t matter. I had a baby two years ago, and I’m pregnant now. I have medalled, I carried on with my career, and that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“I want to take a few months off to come back for the World Championships next year,” Jodie claimed.
Grinham achieved something unprecedented.
“I will tell the baby ‘You were on the Paralympic podium’," she said smiling.
And knowing Jodie, she will do her best to win further medals as a mom of two.
