British archer Jodie Grinham made history by winning a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics while seven months pregnant. Her incredible achievement marks a significant milestone in both her career and the history of the Games. Grinham's remarkable performance under such unique circumstances has earned widespread admiration and set a new standard for resilience and determination in sports.

Jodie Grinham had already made history as the first openly pregnant athlete to compete in the Paralympic Games. On Saturday night, she further cemented her legacy by winning bronze in the women’s individual compound bow finals, narrowly defeating fellow Briton Phoebe Paterson Pine by one point in a tense final showdown. Turkey’s Oznur Cure Girdi claimed gold after a decisive victory over Iranian archer Fatemeh Hemmati.

Grinham's bright pink hair, peeking out from under her baseball cap, matched the pink accents of her compound bow—a striking visual on the field. The 31-year-old British archer, who was born with no fingers and half a thumb on her left hand, won silver in the mixed doubles at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Now, seven months pregnant, she became the first person to win a medal at the Paralympics while openly pregnant.

After her victory, Grinham spoke about the experience of competing while carrying her unborn child, who was kicking throughout the event. “Oh my gosh, the baby hasn’t stopped!” she said. “It’s like the baby’s saying, ‘What’s going on? It’s really loud, mummy, what are you doing?’ But it’s been lovely, a little honor knowing the baby is there, and just a reminder of the support bubble I have in my belly. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Archery demands intense concentration, with each shot crucial to the outcome. Grinham admitted that the baby’s movements sometimes worried her, but she had trained to maintain her focus under these conditions. “We spent a long time doing pregnancy preps where my coach would move me or my bump to get me used to the feeling,” she explained. “When I felt the baby move during matches, I acknowledged it, saying, ‘Mummy loves you, I’ll cuddle you in a minute,’ and then carried on with my process.”

Grinham has been open about her and her partner's struggles to conceive, including three miscarriages before the birth of their first child, who was born prematurely at 28 weeks. Last weekend, at 28 weeks into her current pregnancy, she experienced a scare when the baby stopped moving and spent two days in a Paris maternity ward. Despite these challenges, Grinham shot her way through the elimination rounds, delivering perfect scores in her first two matches.

Although she lost to Cure Girdi in the semi-finals, Grinham faced Paterson Pine in the bronze medal match. It was a nail-biter, with Paterson Pine leading until the final moments. Grinham’s last arrow landed true, putting her within one point of a draw. To win, Paterson Pine needed a perfect 10, but her arrow scored only eight, handing Grinham the bronze.

Reflecting on her achievement, Grinham said that just qualifying for the Paralympics while pregnant was already significant. “I’ve already achieved something that many women haven’t done before, and I hope that’s enough,” she said. “If I can win, great, but more importantly, I hope to show that pregnancy doesn’t mean you have to give up your passions. If you’re happy, healthy, and the baby is safe, then go and do it. There shouldn’t be a stigma.”