It was a thrilling individual compound open match, with Paterson Pine, who took gold in Tokyo, taking a slender lead and holding onto it into the final end. She needed to hit a 10 to win from her final arrow, a nine to go into a one arrow shoot-off, but shot an eight to gasps – nerves getting the better of her at the crucial moment.
Grinham bent over in shock, before the two hugged – they’ve been buddies since they were teenagers, training together since 2014.
“I knew I needed a 10 to put any pressure on her,” Grinham said, “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t and it sucks where it’s a teammate but we both know that’s sport.”
Grinham, tall, shocking pink fringe, and long hair dyed blue at the ends, has an unerring eye for the centre of a target. But the swollen belly of a seven-month pregnant woman has meant making adjustments, with an extra low-slung quiver round her middle, which in turn has meant she has had to tweak how she lifts and holds the bow. And flat shoes to stop her rocking around in a sport where concentration is everything.
Adjusting to a 'Support Bubble'
And as an extra distraction, she’s had to deal with the little kicks of her increasingly active baby. “The baby hasn’t stopped [moving], the baby is saying, what are you doing? It’s been a real honour to know that the baby is there and that little support bubble I’ve got in my belly.
“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. Even during matches today up at full draw I acknowledged it, mummy loves you, I’ll cuddle you in a minute, then carried on doing my processes. 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.”
At seven months, Grinham is now at the same stage that she went into premature labour with her son Christian, now two. But she was determined to show it was possible to be an elite competitor while at a late stage of pregnancy. There were precautions – she checked that Les Invalides was within eight minutes of the nearest hospital. And she spent the last week in and out of hospital for checks – but it was worth it to break boundaries.
“There is no stigma,” she said, “the stereotype of things is completely irrelevant, if you feel you can do it, it doesn’t matter. If the doctor says it’s fine, then go and do it.”
A First for the Paralympics
Grinham's bronze medal makes her the first openly pregnant Paralympic athlete to win a medal. This achievement not only adds to her list of accomplishments, but also challenges stereotypes and empowers other women athletes to pursue their dreams, regardless of their circumstances.
Archery has been part of the Paralympics since the very first games in Rome in 1960. But it can have had fewer lovelier setting than in the Esplanades des Invalides, with the grey skeleton of the Eiffel Tower rising to one side of the arena, the gilded dome of the Hotel des Invalides at another, topiaried trees in obedient straight lines in the garden, and the gleaming bronze winged horses of Pont Alexandre III peering over from the north.
A Day of Surprises
Much to the enthusiastic crowd’s disappointment, two favourites were knocked out early. Sheetal Devi, 17, of India, the armless archer who lifts and holds the bow with her foot and pulls the string with her teeth, and has 312,000 followers on Instagram, fell in the elimination round. And Julie Rigault Chupin of France was beaten at the quarter-final stage despite the crowd’s enthusiastic efforts to “Faites du Bruit!” After a consoling back rub from her coach, she was roared out of the stadium.
Beyond the Podium
Jodie Grinham's story is a testament to the human spirit's resilience and determination. It reminds us that limitations are often self-imposed, and that with passion and dedication, we can achieve extraordinary things. Her bronze medal is a victory for every athlete, especially those who face adversity and challenge societal norms. But more importantly, it's a victory for those who choose to believe in themselves and their dreams, no matter what life throws their way.
Grinham's achievement will surely inspire generations to come, showing that even when pregnant, women can achieve great things in sports. Her journey is a reminder that there are no limits to what we can achieve when we dare to dream big.
