As the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower, Jodie Grinham etched her name into history, becoming the first openly pregnant woman to win a Paralympic medal. She clinched the bronze after a dramatic shoot-off against her close friend and fellow Briton, Phoebe Paterson Pine.
In a gripping individual compound open match, Paterson Pine, who had secured gold in Tokyo, held a narrow lead going into the final end. Needing a 10 to win with her last arrow and a 9 to force a shoot-off, she faltered and shot an 8, her nerves getting the best of her at a critical moment.
Grinham, stunned, bent over in disbelief before embracing Paterson Pine. The two have been friends since their teenage years and have trained together since 2014.
“I knew I needed a 10 to put pressure on her,” Grinham said. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and it’s tough when it’s a teammate, but we both understand that’s the nature of the sport.”
Grinham, with her tall frame, shocking pink fringe, and blue-tipped hair, is renowned for her precise aim. However, her seven-month pregnancy has required some adjustments: an extra low-slung quiver to accommodate her swollen belly, modifications in how she lifts and holds the bow, and flat shoes to maintain stability. Concentration remains crucial in the sport, and Grinham’s adaptations have not hindered her remarkable achievement.
As an added distraction, she’s been dealing with the little kicks of her increasingly active baby. “The baby hasn’t stopped moving; it’s almost as if the baby is asking, ‘What are you doing?’ It’s truly a blessing to feel that little support bubble inside me.”
“There were moments when I worried that the baby’s movements might affect my shot when I was at full draw. But my coach and I spent a lot of time preparing for this, practicing with the baby moving and adjusting to the bump. Even during matches today, when I was at full draw, I acknowledged the baby by saying, ‘Mummy loves you; I’ll cuddle you in a minute,’ and then continued with my routine. Afterward, I gave my belly a gentle stroke and reassured the baby, understanding that it’s a lot of noise and heartbeat.”
At seven months, Grinham is at the same stage she was when she went into premature labor with her now two-year-old son, Christian. However, she was determined to prove that being an elite competitor during late pregnancy is possible. She took precautions, including ensuring that Les Invalides was within eight minutes of the nearest hospital. She spent the past week in and out of the hospital for checks, but felt it was worth it to push boundaries.
“There is no stigma,” she said. “The stereotypes are irrelevant. If you feel capable and your doctor says it’s okay, then go for it.”
Archery has been a staple of the Paralympics since the inaugural games in Rome in 1960, but few settings can rival the beauty of the Esplanade des Invalides. With the Eiffel Tower's grey silhouette rising in the distance, the gilded dome of the Hôtel des Invalides on one side, and topiary trees standing in neat rows, the backdrop is truly breathtaking. Overlooking the scene, the bronze winged horses of Pont Alexandre III add a majestic touch.
Unfortunately, the enthusiastic crowd was disappointed as two favorites were knocked out early. Sheetal Devi, 17, from India—an armless archer who uses her foot to lift and hold the bow and her teeth to pull the string, and who boasts 312,000 Instagram followers—was eliminated in the early rounds. Similarly, French archer Julie Rigault Chupin fell in the quarter-finals despite the crowd's spirited cheers of "Faites du Bruit!" After receiving a comforting back rub from her coach, she was cheered out of the stadium with passionate support.
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