“My entire life goal was to change the sport of long jump and get eyes on long jump,” Tara Davis-Woodhall declared, tears welling up and joy radiating from her face, moments after claiming her maiden Olympic gold medal in Paris last year. It was more than just a victory—it was a mission accomplished. After a bittersweet sixth-place finish in Tokyo and a string of underwhelming performances at the World Championships, many wondered if Tara’s dream was slipping through her fingers. But when the bright lights of Paris illuminated the Olympic stage, she rose to the occasion, soaring farther than ever before. And whom all she thanked?

As the American flag draped around her shoulders and the national anthem played, Tara was quick to thank those who had stood by her side: her coaches, her family, her husband, and her relentless team of support staff. But there was another, lesser-known factor that traveled with her to every meet, quietly working behind the scenes. Yes, Tara Davis-Woodhall had a secret weapon: superstition.

From the outside, Tara Davis-Woodhall’s electric personality, signature glasses, and confident strut made her look untouchable. But behind the scenes? Rituals. Lots of them. However, she isn’t the first athlete to have done such things. The great Usain Bolt had some. But from that perspective, Tara has had a few different ones. Such as? 

In a chat with Firefly Recovery today, the reigning Olympic champion revealed the quirky pre-competition routine that fuels her record-breaking jumps. “My superstition before my jumps or competition is the night before, I have to have two glasses of wine and a plate of pasta,” she said with a grin. “For the morning of, I just have to have really good music.” Simple, right? A little carb load, a smooth glass of red, and some beats to get in the zone. But that’s not the whole story.

Tara dug a little deeper: “I have to have some time to myself and at least an energy drink or two. And some socks.” Ah, yes, the socks. If you’ve ever watched her on the runway, you’ve seen them—long, loud, and unapologetically Tara. But here’s the twist: she never brings them herself. Why? The reason is classic Tara—equal parts carefree and calculated.

“I never bring them because I do know there’s always a store where I can get some,” she admitted with a laugh. “That’s great. That’s a great last-minute. I used to wear the same socks all the time, so at least we broke that superstition.” Turns out that even her superstitions evolve. What was once a fixed ritual—wearing the same socks every meet—has now become a new kind of routine: the ritual of the spontaneous sock hunt. Somewhere between her wine, pasta, music, and Monster energy drinks, Tara Davis-Woodhall finds time to hit a local shop for a fresh pair of socks, keeping her pre-jump tradition alive without being too attached.

Maybe that’s the real charm of Tara Davis-Woodhall. She’s a powerhouse on the runway, a gold medalist with flair, but she’s also real—quirky, spontaneous, and totally unfiltered. Whether it’s flying through the air in Paris or scrambling for socks in a random store the night before, she’s writing her own rules. Here, she has crossed paths with the great Usain Bolt and company. How? 

Tara Davis-Woodhall, Usain Bolt, and a few others crossed paths 

When you think of Usain Bolt, the image is iconic: gold spikes, arms stretched wide in his signature “To Di World” pose, and that unbeatable, effortless stride. The fastest man in history always seemed unshakable—cool, confident, and immune to the jitters that haunt mere mortals. But even legends have their quirks. During a sit-down, the host asked Bolt a simple question: “Did you have superstitions?” At first, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist shrugged it off. “No,” he said. But then, with a grin, a memory surfaced.

It was just before Bolt’s final Olympic Games in Rio when a casual conversation with a friend brought the superstition to light. “I was talking about cutting my hair,” Bolt recalled. “And my friend goes, ‘Are you going to cut your hair?… I feel like you shouldn’t.’” That’s when it hit him.

Without even realizing it, Bolt had followed the same subtle pattern for over a decade: At every World Championships, he’d grow his hair out. But for the Olympics? He always showed up clean-cut. “I go, ‘I’m not going to chance it… I’m going to cut my hair,’” he said, chuckling at the discovery. However, it wasn’t some elaborate ritual with candles or crystals. No lucky socks or chants. Just a trip to the barber—a subconscious tradition that had quietly followed Usain Bolt through three Olympic Games and eight gold medals. And when it comes to traditions? Well, enter Gianmarco Tamberi.

At the Paris Olympics, all eyes weren’t just on the bar he was clearing—but also on the beard he wasn’t quite shaving. The Italian high jumper showed up, as always, with his signature half-beard—one side clean-shaven, the other left scruffily intact. A look so bold, so bizarre, it practically demands its own podium finish. But it’s not just a style choice. It’s a ritual, rooted in a promise to himself dating back to 2011.

“It has become my trademark,” Tamberi explained, with the same gleam in his eye that he brings to the high jump runway. And he’s not wrong. The half-beard has leapt from superstition to symbol—a visible reminder of the showman spirit he carries into every competition.