Archer Jodie Grinham hopes her participation in the Paris Paralympics will send a strong message to women everywhere. When she competes in the compound archery event at Les Invalides in late August, she will be 28 weeks pregnant.
This is a historic moment, as no athlete at this stage of pregnancy has previously been selected for the British Paralympic team. Grinham, who turns 31 on Friday and is originally from Wales, aims to demonstrate that mothers in sports can excel at the highest levels despite personal challenges.
“I cherish every moment of both my career and being a mom. Why should I have to choose between them?” Grinham told BBC Sport. “I am lucky that my sport allows me to continue competing. It may not be possible for everyone, but this shows how far we’ve come in supporting women in sports.”
Grinham, who won a silver medal in compound mixed team archery with John Stubbs at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, will be joined by Tokyo gold medallist Phoebe Patterson-Pine, returning athlete Nathan MacQueen, and debutant Victoria Kingstone on the team for Paris.
She praised the support she has received from her partner, family, British Archery, and coach Charlotte Burgess. “I haven’t had to change my technique much, but I do get hot easily, so we’ve used cooling strategies,” she explained. “My quiver doesn’t fit around my waist anymore, so I’ve had to get a belt that extends around my bump. I’ve also had to adapt my competition kit to ensure it fits properly.”
Grinham has also benefited from UK Sport’s official pregnancy guidance, which supports athletes through pregnancy and post-birth. This guidance, introduced in late 2021, aims to ensure that starting a family and being an elite athlete can coexist.
As she aims for double gold in the individual and mixed team events in Paris, Grinham’s family will remain at home rather than traveling to France. “Christian, my toddler, likes to run around and play, but he also needs his parents around,” she said. “When he’s seen me compete, he doesn’t understand why he can’t come to me, so we decided it’s best for them to stay at home and watch on TV.”
Reflecting on her experience since the 2016 Games, Grinham noted, “I was very nervous and inexperienced in Rio, but now I feel more prepared. I’ve achieved good scores and medals this year, and I believe this could be a successful Games for me. I’ll focus on my performance, and then we can celebrate and spend time together when I return.”
