Jodie Grinham of Britain becomes the first athlete to win a Paralympic medal while pregnant

British archer Jodie Grinham made history by becoming the first athlete to win a Paralympic medal while pregnant, securing bronze in the women’s individual compound open on Saturday, according to organizers.

Competing at seven months pregnant presented unique challenges for Grinham, including asking her baby to stop kicking so she could focus on her shots.

"The baby was kicking, which is great—but by the third end, I was like, 'Not right now, mommy loves you, but we'll do kickies in a minute,'" Grinham said, as reported by the Paralympic Games website. "The baby hasn't stopped, it's like they're wondering, 'What's going on? It's really loud, mommy, what are you doing?' But it felt like an honor knowing the baby was there, a little reminder of the support I have."

Grinham edged out her teammate, Phoebe Paterson Pine, for the bronze medal after both narrowly missed out on the final. Turkey’s Öznur Cüre Girdi took the gold, defeating Iran’s Fatemeh Hemmati.

Grinham mentioned that preparing for the Paralympics involved adapting to her changing body, which affected her stance and routine. "Some days the baby might be in my back, other days more forward. My coach and I spent a lot of time doing pregnancy preps, moving me and the bump to get used to that feeling," she said.

Grinham is now aiming for her second medal at the Paris Games when she competes in the mixed team compound quarterfinals alongside Nathan McQueen on Monday.

"I didn’t want people to see it as, ‘Oh, there’s a pregnant lady going to the Games,’" Grinham explained. "I want them to say, ‘Wow, a pregnant woman can compete at the highest level and win a medal,’ showing that anything is possible. If you want to do it, then do it."