This British Para-Archer Competed While Seven-Months Pregnant And Won A Gold Medal, Making History
31-year-old Jodie Grinham, who was born with an arm disability, won a bronze medal in the women’s individual compound event while she was seven-months pregnant.
British Paraarcher Jodie Grinham has made history by becoming the first pregnant athlete to ever win a Paralympic medal.
The 31-year-old, who was born with an arm disability, won a bronze medal in the women’s individual compound event, on Saturday, Aug. 31, while she was seven-months pregnant.
She then went on to win a gold medal on Monday Sep. 2, with her teammate Nathan MacQueen, in the mixed team compound event, defeating the Iranian team.
After her victory at the Paralympics, Grinham told the BBC that all she wanted to do, “was jump up and down and cry and scream and shout.”
“But being heavily pregnant, realistically the best thing to do was crouch down and take a second and then I could give hugs and things,” she added.
Grinham has Brachysyndactyly, a congenital condition present at birth that affects the fingers and toes, causing them to be shorter than usual.
She was born with a shortened left arm, no fingers, and only half a thumb on her left hand.
She began her archery journey in 2008 and was selected for Great Britain’s para archery team in 2014.
Grinham gives credit to her father in playing a significant role in helping her adapt to the sport by developing a unique method for her to grip the bow.
She made her debut at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she won a silver medal in the mixed team compound event.
Grinham has also overcome several personal challenges, including fertility issues and pregnancy loss, before she and her partner welcomed their first child, Christian, in 2022.
Her son was born prematurely at 28 weeks, needing 10 days in an incubator and five weeks on a nebuliser, according to France 24.
Now, pregnant with her second child, she still faced complications.
Last week, just days before her first match, she spent two days at a Paris maternity ward after she realized her baby stopped moving, with doctors at the maternity ward preparing for a possible early birth of her second child.
Doctors eventually cleared her and her baby to compete.
"I'm really proud of myself, I've had difficulties and it's not been easy. But as long as I'm healthy and [the] baby's healthy, I knew I could compete,” she told ESPN.
Grinham told World Archery that she didn't want people to see her only as a pregnant athlete, saying, “I want them to see: 'Wow, a pregnant lady can compete at the highest level and get a medal'.”
“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,” she went on to say.
More On The Paralympics
Isha Jain
Isha Jain
Igra Abdi
