Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham has become the first pregnant Paralympic athlete to win a medal.
Grinham’s history making win was announced on the official Instagram account for the Paralympics on Aug. 31 after she took home bronze in women’s individual compound while seven months pregnant at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
On her journey to bronze, Grinham defeated her teammate Phoebe Paterson Pine, who won the gold medal in Tokyo.
After the event, Grinham spoke to The Guardian about competing while pregnant with her second child, telling the outlet, “The baby hasn’t stopped [moving], the baby is saying, what are you doing?”
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“It’s been a real honor to know that the baby is there and that little support bubble I’ve got in my belly,” she continued.
Grinham went on to share her concerns about how her baby could have potentially affected her performance, adding, “It was really starting to worry me that the baby was going to move when I was at full draw and it was going to affect my shot, but my coach and I spent a long time doing little pregnancy prep with her moving me and the bump so I could get used to that feeling.”
She said that during her matches, she would acknowledge her baby saying things like “mummy loves you, I’ll cuddle you in a minute” before she went on with the competition.
“Then I gave him a little stroke afterwards and said it’s all fine, I know it’s a lot of noise, a lot of heartbeat,” she said.
Grinham made her debut at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio and won a silver, but missed the competition in Tokyo due to injuries caused by a fall. Going into the 2024 Paralympic Games, Grinham told the IPC that she was “hoping to medal” and would be “disappointed” if she didn’t.
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The Paralympian has remained open about her experience with fertility issues and pregnancy loss. She competed in the 2016 Paralympic Games rather than trying to conceive due to the Zika virus and other risks, leaving her to wait until after Tokyo, but those Games were ultimately postponed.
“Obviously, with breaking everything and then the Games being postponed, we already delayed trying for a baby,” she said. “Then we had issues being able to conceive, which was heartbreaking.”
Despite the difficult journey to parenthood, Grinham and her partner welcomed their first child together, son Christian, in 2022.
“I’m not going to hold off having a family anymore for the sake of my career,” she told the IPC. “I should be able to do both. And that is exactly what we decided. Here I am seven months pregnant, competing.”
Grinham will compete again in the mixed team compound quarterfinals on Sept. 2, giving her a second chance at a medal during the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Grinham returned to the Paralympic stage Thursday for the first time since Rio 2016, this time seven months pregnant.
Grinham wrapped up her first competition Thursday morning in the women’s individual compound open. She finished fourth and scored a personal best of 693. Later in the evening she and Nathan MacQueen placed second in the mixed team compound open ranking round.
“I know I can do more, it’s a personal best but there’s lots of room for improvement,” Grinham said. “The key for me was finishing in that top four, and that gives me a day off competition to focus on tweaking things and making myself better.”
Grinham will return Saturday for the elimination round which allows her rest from competition Friday. After having a minor scare earlier in the week the rest is luxurious. On Monday she had taken a trip to the hospital as the baby had stopped moving. Her doctors assured her everything looked normal and the baby was healthy. She said her doctor knew there was no point in asking her to rest now, but begged that once she finished competing to rest from everything.
For Grinham, medaling in Paris is not just for herself. She said she hopes to set an example of female strength by bringing home the hardware.
“I want to be a mother and an athlete,” Grinham said. “I’m not willing to sacrifice either of them but at home I am mummy.”
Balancing her passion and responsibilities has been rewarding but nonetheless, taxing, she said. With her partner Christopher Greenan, she says they have learned the importance of separating family from work, which Grinham said allows for more time with her 2-year-old son Christian.
“If I have, like, mummy hat and athlete hat, and if I’m in athlete mode, then that is it,” Grinham said. “You know, I am in an athlete mindset.”
Grinham previously earned the silver medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympics with partner John Stubbs in the mixed team compound and placed 10th in the individual competition.
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