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Jodie Grinham, the Para-archer of Great Britain, won mixed-team compound gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics alongside teammate Nathan Mcqueen. Her first medal came in the women's individual compound, where she ousted Phoebe Paterson to clinch the bronze. Grinham made history in Paris as she became the first athlete to win a Paralympics medal while being pregnant.
At the women's individual compound event, the 31-year-old lost 143-145 to Turkey's Oznur Cure in the semifinals before edging out fellow Brit Phoebe Paterson 142-141 to win the bronze medal. Grinham helped Great Britain win gold in the mixed team compound event, where they beat Iran 155-151 in the final. She did all this with a baby bump, being seven months pregnant.
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After securing the monumental podiums, the 31-year-old expressed her desire to jump and celebrate but restrained herself for her health.
"All I wanted to do at the end was jump up and down and cry and scream and shout. But being heavily pregnant, realistically the best thing to do was crouch down and take a second and then I could give hugs and things," she said to BBC.
Jodie Grinham's Olympic debut
Grinham made her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and reached the quarterfinals of the individual compound event before losing to Somayeh Abbaspur.
She partnered with British archer John Stubbs in the mixed team compound and the pair finished the preliminary ranking round with a score of 1,324. They defeated Italy in the quarterfinals and South Korea in the semifinals to assure themselves of a medal. However, the Chinese pair of Zhou Jiamin and Ai Xinliang bested Grinham and Stubbs 151-143 in the final.
Jodie Grinham family and education
Jodie Grinham was born to Symon Grinham in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Wales, with a shortened arm, underdeveloped shoulders, and half a thumb on her left hand. She was a student at BPP Law School in Water Loo, London. Her father played an integral role in helping her to adapt to archery and teach her how to grip a bow.
Married to Christopher Greenan, the 31-year-old welcomed a baby boy, Christian, in 2022. She's now pregnant for the second time.
When did Jodie Grinham start archery?
The Paralympian started archery in 2008 and was named in the National archery team in 2014. She finished seventh in her first major competition at the 2015 World Para-archery Championships.
Other achievements of Jodie Grinham
At the 2023 World Para Archery Championships, the 31-year-old won the compound women's open doubles title with her teammate Phoebe Paterson Pine. Jodie Grinham also swept the individual compound women’s open title and the doubles compound open silver with Pine at the 2024 European Para Cup.
The Welsh expressed her desire to set an example of women's strength by juggling sports and family without giving up on any.
"I want to be a mother and an athlete. I'm not willing to sacrifice either of them, but at home I am mummy. If I have, like, mummy hat and athlete hat, and if I'm in athlete mode, then that is it. You know, I am in an athlete mindset," she said. (via KXLH)
Some of her hobbies include solving the Rubix cube, scrap book collections, and long walks.
