Great Britain’s Jodie Grinham has etched her name into the history books by becoming the first pregnant athlete to win a Paralympic medal in Paris.
The seven-month pregnant archer secured a bronze medal at the Paralympics 2024 on Saturday, narrowly beating her compatriot, Paterson Pine, with a final score of 142-141 in the women’s compound event.
31-year-old Grinham, who has an impairment in the left arm due to dwarfism and is missing fingers, with only half a thumb, competed with her right arm intact. Grinham is also a mother of one with her two-year-old son cheering her on from home.
Adapting to her pregnancy, Jodie made significant adjustments to her stance, including altering the positioning of her quiver. While most archers wear quivers around their hips or upper thighs, Grinham lowers her quiver around her waist to make herself comfortable while competing due to her growing belly.
This bronze marked Grinham’s first individual medal at the Paralympic Games, adding to her tally of a silver medal from the Team Compound event for Great Britain at the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
Grinham, however, isn’t the only pregnant athlete making headlines at the Paris Games. Egyptian fencer Nadia Hafez also competed while being seven-month pregnant, advancing to the Round of 16 in Paris Olympics.