Little Tara’s Olympic Dream

September 25, 2024

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👋 Hey, Speedsters!

After all that rivalry talk last time, the competitive dust has now settled for good until next season. In the meantime, our minds trace back to a special athlete pair, who made track and field a sight to behold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If you're thinking— Hunter and Tara Davis-Woodhall, that's right on the money!

Their instinct to celebrate their gold wins by jumping into each other’s arms turned into a viral moment at Stade de France. PS: not once, but twice! However, that was only a fraction of their stories as athletes, gold medalists, and, of course, as life partners. Thus, today’s edition is dedicated to unveiling the tale of these lovers, who are athletes first.

So let’s dive in!

📜 QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It's not about proving the disbelievers wrong, but proving the people who believe in you right.”

— Hunter Woodhall

In today’s newsletter, we’ll uncover these top stories from Track & Field universe:

🐣 Tara Davis-Woodhall’s Early Life

💪🏻 Hunter Woodhall Overcoming Hurdles

🏃🏻‍➡️ Making of the ‘Olympian’ Hunter Woodhall

💑 Woodhalls: Balancing Love and Life

🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️ SPRINT STORIES

Little Tara’s Olympic Dream

Being 4 years old is not too young to discover a passion if you ask Tara Davis, who followed her elder sister’s footsteps to the sand pit. Fast forward to 2024, she's now 25 and the reigning long jump Olympic Champion. But this transition barely happened with just her 7.1-meter leap in Paris. It started right at the Agoura High School field, with her national record, and today, she’s the new Kansas State assistant coach!

Tara might seem like her bubbly self with her signature cowboy look, but that infectious smile has often hidden deeper struggles. Depression crept into her life at the University of Georgia, where she had a full palette— her parents' divorce and an unsupportive track coach, who belittled her injuries. She then transferred to Texas, but Austin felt alien, and getting out of bed was already a challenge. Thus, Tara contemplated her biggest decision, saying, "I want to quit track."

She literally penned down a pros-cons list and was ready to cave, until the 2021 season arrived. Embracing an, 'I'm going to do this' mantra, she smashed Jackie Joyner-Kersee's 36-year-old collegiate mark in 2021. Second, at the US Olympic Trials, she even entered the Tokyo Games riding on a high, but could only come as close as sixth. After a mind and body reset, Tara’s 2024 Olympic gold compensates for when she lost her 2023 national indoor title to a THC-positive test and ended a runner-up at the Worlds.

📊 POLL OF THE DAY

Who’s Your Favorite Track & Field Power Couple? 💥

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Last Poll’s Result: 🗳️ Poll Results Are In! 🗳️ Should Doping Athletes Be Banned? Well, the majority has spoken! 🏆 With 53.3% of the votes, the winning option is: “No. Athletes Should Have a Shot at Redemption.” Close behind, 40% of voters also supported the idea that athletes deserve a second chance. Some even suggested a more balanced approach, with one popular comment stating: “A 2-year ban and increased testing in and out of competition.” 

🔦 SPOTLIGHT

Being Bullied Didn’t Limit Hunter’s Journey

"I think I have kind of made it my mentality to not view it as a disability," were the words said by the resilient battle-tested Hunter Woodhall. 1999, he was born with a fused ankle and a fibular hemimelia. Skip a beat and he's 25, standing atop the Paris Paralympics podium, courtesy of his 400m T62 gold. Although both his legs were amputated when he was 11 months old, nothing has kept him from being a champion.

Homes-chooled till grade 5, his transition to a private institute came with an unwanted guest— bullying. He was made fun of every day. But, a sports buff— he kept trying his hands at different sports until his friends enrolled in track and he followed. Representing the U.S. as a high school sophomore, he always had the knack for it. And all that paid when he attained a breakthrough— becoming the first double amputee to get an NCAA Division I track scholarship at Arkansas.

Life changed for the better after he won a 200m bronze at the 2015 World Championships. He tasted success and upgraded that a notch at the 2017 Worlds, with two silvers (200m, 400m). And when he stepped onto the Paralympic stage in Rio, a 200m silver and a 400m bronze made him a 2x Paralympic medalist in a heartbeat. Well, his 16-20 hours of training a week had to pay, right? Tokyo did not bear the ideal results, for he was limited to a 400m T62 bronze. But Paris has compensated and how.

They told him he could not walk, so he learned to run!

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📽️ VIDEO VAULT

Hunter Woodhall at the Ellen Show!

This week, we shine a spotlight on Hunter Woodhall, the inspiring athlete who first captivated audiences on the Ellen Show in 2020. During his appearance, Hunter shared his remarkable journey of overcoming challenges in track and field, inspiring countless viewers along the way. To top it off, he received a special gift to support his dreams of competing in the Tokyo Paralympics!

🫡 TRIBUTE TO

The Woodhall: From Altar to Olympics

When Hunter first crossed paths with Tara at a meet in Idaho, he knew, "This is the girl I am going to marry" as he told his best friend. Their love interestingly unfolded as after a slew of messages, calls, and Arcadia hangouts, the two fell head over heels in love! While Tara battled depression during her days in Georgia, Hunter was away by distance, but Tara attests, "he's been there throughout my four years."

It reminds us, back in 2023, at the World Athletics Championships, Hunter had a prosthetic malfunction that debarred him from competing. This was when Tara comforted her crestfallen husband, who sat down on the sidelines and wept his heart. However, 2024 was their redemption year! After Tara's golden win, she ran and jumped into Hunter's arms over the stands. Donning a Team Tara t-shirt, he shouted, "You Did it! You’re the Olympic champion!”

The magnitude of Tara's win boosted Hunter, who confessed, it was a really great visualization to watch his wife do that. Alas, Hunter's first attempt, the 100m T64 event was a far miss, but Tara reassured him, "One final lap, this is your race! do it for you." And a few days later, the adorable embrace was recreated as Hunter won the 400m T62 gold.

While both believe that neither of them would be at this level without each other, their words concretize that. After her golden win, Tara confessed, "Hunter has helped me through it all. He's been my rock, he's been my partner, hands down even at the lowest of my lows, he's never given up on me." While Hunter attested, she built him, believed in him, and helped him grow.

💛 GOLDEN COUPLE

Perfect Juggle Between Life-Marriage-Passion & Everything Else 

Hunter Woodhall and Tara agree that their Paris wins seem extra special because it’s a culmination of their six-year-long journeys, the ups and downs, injuries, bad seasons— everything. From playing board games/UNO at home to training together as professional athletes, or journaling their aspirations, they have truly been joined at the hip. And when one falls, the other reminds them, "Hey, let's do this. Let's be there for each other and let's go to practice. This is just a bad day."

Imagine: it's Hunter's 400m final day at Stade de France and that morning, Tara boosted him by revving the vibes with music, speaking words of affirmation into him, and screaming, "You can do it. You got this." This brings to mind… back in Tokyo, Hunter's 400m bronze had gotten the loudest cheer from Tara, who in turn penned a long note for her podium miss, calling her a 'hero' for her attempt.

Their love took a deeper turn when Hunter proposed to Tara right, in Mexico, 2021 and promised to be her forever. Fast forward to October 16, the couple said 'I do' for life in an intimate wedding. And today, they are just two peas in a pod juggling through life together. They are guilty of being absolute homebodies, who love spending time at home with their pets — Azula, Milo, and Winnie and their plants.

But the strongest factor that unites them? Is the fact that they come from sports careers. Hunter Woodhall confesses, "It simplifies everything." Given that both their sports are very demanding, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to have someone by your side who understands how tough it is, makes it so much easier.

And that's how the final piece of the puzzle just fits!

📝 STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!

  1. Hunter Woodhall Reveals How Grief Fueled His Paralympics Success - Full Story

  2. Tara Davis-Woodhall Opens Up About Handling Husband Hunter’s Double Amputee Status - Full Story

  3. Tara Davis-Woodhall Takes Wholesome Step With Hunter Woodhall to Honor Husband’s Past - Full Story

  4. After First Golds, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Husband Hunter Take Major First Step on Hiatus From Track and Field - Full Story

  5. Tara Davis-Woodhall Claps Back at Haters After Achieving History With Husband Hunter - Full story

That’s it for today, folks! We’ll look to knock on your inbox soon with more interesting stories!

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