Tara Davis-Woodhall’s Paralympian Husband Shares Mom’s Key Advice That Shaped His Track & Field Career

We saw Tara Davis-Woodhall’s Paralympian husband, Hunter Woodhall, living his fever dream in 2024, right? With the men’s 400m T62 gold medal around his neck, he felt like he’d won in more ways than are described. Yes, the guy whom the doctors had once pronounced could not walk for life was an unmissable sight on the tracks last season. But none of this would have been possible without one person—his mother.

The double amputee Hunter Woodhall was born with fibular hemimelia, a congenital birth defect. But surprisingly, this was far less challenging than what his family had to face eventually. When Hunter Woodhall was merely 11 months old, his family had to make the difficult decision of amputating his legs, rendering him dependent on prosthetics for the rest of his life. However, in his navigation of life thereon, one piece of advice given by his mother stuck with him.

In a recent YouTube video added by Tara Davis-Woodhall and her husband, the two were seen attending a talk show. As he spoke to the host of the event, Hunter revealed heartwarming details about his family’s involvement in his journey all these years. When they got to know about Hunter’s condition, his parents tried everything in their capacity. Visiting specialists and doctors? Check. Breaking his legs, casting them, and trying to straighten them? Tick that too. Naturally, because “my parents weren’t really cool with that being the outcome of my life.”

But when nothing worked, Hunter Woodhall’s parents took the unbelievably difficult decision for him—amputation. And as it turns out, it changed everything. Over the years, Hunter’s life worked out just fine. But one day, he struggled to ride a bike and became really worked up about it. And that’s when Tara Davis-Woodhall’s Paralympian husband got the advice of his life: “I remember my mom calmly telling me that Hunter, it’s not like you can’t do something; it’s just that you might have to find another way to do it. And I just always kept that in mind.”

Ever since that day, this perspective has become Hunter’s secret sauce. He learned that no matter how big the challenge feels, there’s always a way over it. And all one needs is a bit of creativity and self-belief. Not just his mother, but Hunter Woodhall credits his two older brothers for helping him navigate his disability. Speaking about them, Hunter shared a lighthearted memory from his childhood: “Luckily, I was blessed to have two older brothers who never really took it easy on me and never let me use my disability as an excuse.” We are so grateful to the Woodhall brothers for pushing Hunter towards sports because that is how his incredible journey began. Moreover, the Paralympian is married to Tara Davis-Woodhall, of all people! This is a couple that sticks by each other, come what may.

The Paralympic community is finally getting some of the traction it deserves, and Hunter Woodhall, for one, could not be any more excited about it. We are with you on that one, Woodhall!

Tara Davis Woodhall’s husband appreciates the sport’s inclusivity

Hunter and Tara-Davis Woodhall appeared on the Beyond the Records podcast recently, where the Paralympian praised the media for promoting para sports the way they have of late. Luckily, he gets to be part of it at this time. Hunter Woodhall said, “We’ve never had this level of exposure before, and that’s crucial for growing the parasports community. NBC is truly paving the way for inclusion.”

Hunter even hailed NBC for the incredible dedication they showed in highlighting their stories and individual journeys. After all, when had all this happened before? This makes it quite a notable feat. So much so that Tara Davis-Woodhall chimed in to say, “The platform they’re providing is not just about showcasing sports; it’s about creating opportunities for para-athletes to inspire a global audience and break barriers.”

Well, days of more passionate sports involvement lie ahead for the young couple. And with their golden philosophies, it should all hopefully turn out well. What do you think? Let us know below!