The 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games were seasoned with the ‘Woodhall’ magic! The couple, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, who make a dream team off the field, had stepped into the City of Love in July with a gazillion aspirations in mind. Their Tokyo 2021 knockouts left them hungry for a medal this time. And not just any—their sights were fixated mainly on the golden hardware.
And why not? For months before flying off to Paris, Tara had been journaling relentlessly: ‘I will be the Olympic champ, and I am strong and fast.’ Picking up on her habit, Hunter had been putting the pen to paper more often to write, ‘I will be the Paralympic champion.’ Well, not only did their affirmations work, but the two rose to the rank of being America’s power couple in no time. And with their viral moment making the rounds on the internet, people started closely following their love story and the inspirational tale of their Olympic wins.
Tara Davis-Woodhall kicked off the winning spree
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As Tara Davis-Woodhall landed on the sandpit for the fourth and final time in Stade de France, she knew she had made her mark—both literally and figuratively. 7.10m, the long jumper had redeemed her Tokyo sixth finish by ascending five slots on the table and was now the Olympic gold medalist. Notably, she was the only woman who surpassed the 7 mark in the event category on the evening of the finale.
As Hunter Woodhall watched her from the sidelines, the bundle of nerves he felt was palpable. The 75,000 in attendance were sure excited. But not one equaled what Hunter felt as his wife prepared for the leap of her life. Amidst constant cheers of ‘Let’s go, baby, let it rip,’ what worked the most was his finale mantra to Tara as he bent over the railing and whispered to her, ‘For one jump, I just want you to think of everything you’ve been through!’
And then came the moment that was perhaps one of the most iconic ones from the Olympic season. As Tara Davis-Woodhall ran towards Hunter, she jumped into his arms and shared an emotional celebration with him. “You did it; you’re the Olympic champion,” were the words that Hunter mouthed while his happiness was on cloud nine. As for Tara, she now had a 7+ score at every competition this season, starting from the World Indoor Championships. And more than anything, it was her dream come true moment—to be an Olympic gold medalist.
But, as she stepped away from the podium, it was now time for Hunter to shine at the 2024 Paralympic Games. And despite a slow start, he eventually ended on the winning side.
Hunted Woodhall followed Tara’s golden lead to recreate the viral moment
Tara Davis-Woodhall’s Paris win ensured she stepped out undefeated this season. But she was not ready to bid adieu without a final hurrah, as she announced her participation in the Rome Diamond League. Whereas Hunter was miles away in the heart of Paris, gearing for his third Paralympic showdown. And his message to Tara was, “Now get your b–t to Paris. We got some unfinished business.” Although a ban scare lingered over his participation momentarily, Hunter Woodhall admitted, “I’m feeling really good, mentally and physically. Watching Tara in Paris was a really great visualization.”
2 bronze and one silver on the shelf, but Hunter wished for a golden this time around. Set to compete in three categories, T64 100m, T62 400m, and the 4x100m T64 relay, he had three chances to hit the target. However, it started with a wide miss, as Hunter finished sixth in the 100m sprint, with 10.96s on the clock. Onto the next chapter, he had Tara’s wise words thrumming in his mind: “One final lap✨ this is your race! do it for you 💜 LFG.” And IT WORKED!
In 46.36 seconds, Hunter won the T62 400m race, even if it took surpassing the world record holder Johannes Floors to reach there. And how could he not recreate the magical moment with his wife? As he sprinted to the sidelines, he embraced Tara Davis-Woodhall, whose husband had now won his first Paralympic title ever. Cut to today, her ‘One final lap’ post now includes ‘EDIT!!! HE WON GOLD!!” It’s always the little things, isn’t it?
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Tara, who brought her gold medal along, then wore it and stepped down onto the tracks, where the couple literally jumped with joy! Speaking to Today.com, the couple opened up about being the new ‘golden duo’ in town. Tara particularly remarked, “Just him coming to hug me after he won gold was surreal. I got to tell him he did it.”
Hunter on the other hand admitted, “This sport can be really challenging. You are all on your own and racing by yourself. Just having someone else who understands that sacrifice that needs to be made and the time commitment that it takes is really incredible.” Soon after, he even romped in another bronze as part of the 4x400m relay for Team USA. Do you think the Woodhalls are the new track and field power couple? Share your thoughts below!
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