British archer Jodie Grinham won a bronze medal in the 2024 Paralympics in the women’s individual compound open on Saturday, all while being seven months pregnant.
Grinham, 31, narrowly defeated fellow Brit Phoebe Paterson Pine to earn her medal, winning 142-141.
“I’m really proud of myself, I’ve had difficulties and it’s not been easy. But as long as I’m healthy and baby’s healthy, I knew we could compete,” Grinham said Saturday. “I knew if I shot as well as I could, baby or not, I could come back with a medal.
“Baby hasn’t stopped kicking, it’s almost like baby’s going ‘what’s going on, it’s really loud, mummy what are you doing’. But it has been a lovely reminder of the support bubble I have in my belly.”
This was Grinham’s first time back at the podium since she won a silver medal with John Stubbs at the 2016 Paralympics in the mixed team compound, a category for athletes with “lower levels of impairment in the upper or lower limbs,” according to the British Paralympic Association.
Grinham previously told The Athletic she has “no fingers and half a thumb” on her left side due to a a congenital condition called brachysyndactyly. Due to the condition, the Paralympian also competes with arms that are different lengths, and said her shoulder is underdeveloped through her side, connecting down to her left core and hip.
Previously, she and her partner, Christopher, have suffered three miscarriages.
According to World Archery, Grinham is currently ranked No. 10 in the world for the compound women’s open.
“My team have joked a few times that my waters could just break on the podium,” Grinham said earlier this month. “That would be quite something.”
At the Paris Olympics last month, Egyptian fencer Nada Hafez announced after competing in the women’s sabre competition that she was seven months pregnant.
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(Photo: Alex Slitz / Getty Images)
