It’s been a season of highs and lows for the Woodhall family, and the contrast between Tara Davis-Woodhall’s soaring success and Hunter Woodhall’s struggles is impossible to ignore. While Tara’s been crushing it with new personal bests, Hunter’s been getting real about his tough season opener. Well, right after, both Woodhalls signed with Nike’s track and field roster, and days later, it seems Hunter has been a bit off.

On April 30th, he posted on Instagram after his season opener, saying, “Season opener out of the way. Didn’t race that well, but I’m proud of myself. After one of the craziest 7 months of my life, it was pretty scary getting back on track. The uncertainty can be a lot to process. After everything, I had so much love from everyone. Now the pressure’s off; time to run fast.” That post? Pure honesty.

Hunter’s been through a lot, but he’s keeping his head up and ready to turn things around. And just when it seemed like things couldn’t get any more exciting, the 2025 Drake Relays rolled around — and it wasn’t just any meet. It was history in the making. For the first time, Hunter and his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, were competing at the same event, side by side, at the 2025 Drake Relays.

Hunter, fresh off winning gold in the 400m T62 at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, faced a competitive field in the men’s 400m, which included Jamaican Olympians Sean Bailey and Zandrion Barnes. Bailey took the top spot with a blistering time of 44.76 seconds, while Barnes finished second in 45.35 seconds. Hunter, not to be outdone, clocked in at 48.13 seconds, showcasing his incredible resilience and skill.

Though he didn’t win, Hunter was proud of his performance, knowing that competing in such a high-level event sent a strong message for the Paralympic movement. “Any chance I get to compete in an able-bodied setting and show that even as a disabled athlete, I’m able to compete at that level, boosts the integrity of the Paralympic sport,” Hunter said. While Hunter was proving the power of inclusion, Tara was out there dominating.

Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall turned the Drake Relays into a moment

In the same event, at the 2025 Drake Relays, Tara Davis-Woodhall launched herself into first place in the women’s long jump with a monster 6.75-meter leap. Well, it seems she is dominating. But the win was only part of the story. The duo, who blew up on social media during the 2024 Games, now share their journey with over 300,000 followers on TikTok, championing track and field while pushing for more visibility for Paralympic athletes.

Now, the spotlight shifts to what could be an even bigger milestone. From July 31 to August 2, Hunter will head to Hayward Field for the first-ever combined Para and Outdoor National Championships—a groundbreaking event where able-bodied and para-athletes will finally compete side by side. For Hunter and Tara, it’s another shot at sharing the same meal, something they hadn’t done since college.

But just when everything was lining up, life had other plans, as a few months back, something awful happened. While visiting his father, who was recovering from open-heart surgery, Hunter ended up in the ER himself, undergoing an emergency appendectomy. Only Hunter could find the silver lining. “Now we’re recovering together,” he joked, posting an update that had fans rallying behind him.

Appendectomy or not, he’s already eyeing his comeback. And if this power couple, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter, has shown us anything, it’s that setbacks are just setups for something even bigger.