LONDON, Sept 05 (Alliance News): British archer Jodie Grinham has made history as the first-ever athlete to win a Paralympic medal while pregnant, clinching bronze in the women’s individual compound open at the Paralympic Games on Saturday.
Competing at seven months pregnant presented Grinham with unique challenges, including managing her baby’s movements while focusing on her shots, CNN reported.
“The baby’s kicking which is great – we got to the third end and I was like, ‘Not right now, mommy loves you but we’ll do kickies in a minute,” Grinham said after the event, as reported by the Paralympic Games website.
Grinham’s perseverance paid off as she edged out teammate Phoebe Paterson Pine for the bronze medal, following narrow defeats in the semifinals. Turkey’s Öznur Cüre Girdi claimed the gold, defeating Iran’s Fatemeh Hemmati in the final.
Celebrating her achievement, Grinham shared her experience of adapting to her changing physical condition. “Baby might be in my back today, or it might be really forward,” she explained. “My coach and I spent a long time doing little pregnancy preps of her moving me and moving the bump, so I could get used to that feeling.”
