Voting has closed for SJA members to decide the winners of three major categories at the British Sports Awards 2024; winners will be announced live on Sky Sports News on Wednesday 20 November; Stuart Broad, Mary Earps and Manchester City’s men’s team claimed the 2023 honours; who will take the top prizes this year?
By Dan Laughlan
Jodie Grinham should be SJA Sportswoman of the Year not simply because she won gold and bronze archery medals at the 2024 Paralympics, but because of the statement she made while doing so.
Grinham is the only pregnant athlete to compete at the Paralympics.
And she not only participated, she won.
She beat defending champion Phoebe Patterson Pine to claim the bronze in the individual compound 142-141, coming from a two-point deficit in the final end. A few days later, she claimed gold alongside Nathan Macqueen in the mixed-team compound.
The 31-year-old should not be given the award out of sympathy or pity because of her pregnancy but instead it should be a reason to further celebrate her achievements above the rest.
Jodie said that she wanted to set an example of female strength and that she wasn’t willing to sacrifice motherhood for her athletic career.
Having started her archery journey in 2008, Grinham’s hard work paid off as she won silver in the mixed-team compound at the 2016 Paralympics.
However, she was unable to follow this up after breaking her right elbow, wrist, knee and ankle ahead of the 2020 Paralympics.
The following years saw Grinham have three miscarriages.
Grinham said: “I lost my first one, we went to hospital. You do the breakdown in bed and the cuddles, and you feel like the failure.
“A woman’s body is produced to have a baby, and yet I didn’t achieve what I was meant to achieve.
“You have all these horrible thoughts.”
Grinham eventually did give birth to a son but it was a pregnancy she defined as ‘terrifying’. With numerous complications after birth, Grinham found the whole experience horrendous.
Jodie had to train and compete at the Paralympics with these past experiences in mind not knowing if they might repeat themselves.
On top of the mental and psychological effects, there are the physical effects of pregnancy that Grinham had to deal with, even having to change her shooting style due to her changing weight.
A woman can gain 13 kgs of weight during a pregnancy, a particular problem for an archer.
Pregnancy leads to feeling constantly tired and breathing rates getting quicker.
Morning sickness begins, as well as aches and pains all underlined by sleepless nights.
Jodie did not want to simply take part and that be her message.
She set out with the intent to win a medal and despite everything she had been through, that is what she achieved.
Jodie Grinham has not only produced a sporting achievement worthy of great acclaim – she has gone one step further than other athletes and achieved a feat for all women and mothers.
Sports journalist Dan Laughlan is a member of the SJA Academy – find out more about membership here.
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