British Paralympian Jodie Grinham made history as the first athlete to win a Paralympic medal while pregnant, securing a bronze in the women’s individual compound open this Saturday. Grinham, who was seven months pregnant during the competition, faced unique challenges, including managing her focus while feeling her baby kick.
During the event, she humorously asked her baby to pause the kicking during crucial moments, sharing light-hearted comments with the media about her experience. “The baby’s kicking which is great – we got to the third end and I was like, ‘Not right now, mommy loves you but we’ll do kickies in a minute,” Grinham recounted, according to the Paralympic Games website.
She narrowly edged out her teammate Phoebe Paterson Pine for the bronze, following close semifinal matches for both. The gold was claimed by Turkey’s Öznur Cüre Girdi, who bested Iran’s Fatemeh Hemmati in the final.
Grinham also spoke about the adjustments she had to make in her training to accommodate her changing body, working closely with her coach to adapt her stance and routine to her growing bump.
Looking ahead, Grinham is set to compete in the mixed team compound quarterfinals with teammate Nathan McQueen, aiming for her second medal at the Paris Games. She emphasized her motivation for competing was not just personal achievement but also to demonstrate that pregnant women can excel at the highest levels of sport. “I didn’t want people to see it as, ‘Oh, there’s a pregnant lady going to a Games,’” she explained. “I want them to say, ‘Wow, a pregnant lady can compete at the highest level and medal,’ showing you anything is possible. Just go and do it. You want to do it? Then do it.”
