In sports, numbers matter. Fractions of numbers can make or break a dream. But can success become synonymous with one particular number? Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall and Paralympic 400m T62 champion Hunter Woodhall can not deny.

Paris Paralympics was the year of redemption for both athletes. Hunter was gunning for gold in the 400m after two back-to-back bronze medals in the event in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. On the other hand, Tara had a disappointing sixth-place finish in Tokyo. The story indeed flipped in Paris. “This is like a fever dream,” Hunter had passionately said about the win. And why not?

After all, not one but two medals were added to the house as Tara Jumped 7.10m and Hunter clocked 46.36 seconds. Now, as they gradually come out of that dream, looking back, they astonishingly discover some numerological coincidences on their way to the Olympic triumph. And the two athletes can not stop gushing about that.

On September 11, Team USA’s official Instagram account added a clip featuring Hunter Woodhall. The 5x Paralympic medalist sat down with Team USA for a short video byte during his post-victory interviews. Hunter recalled his podium moment, where he was found shedding happy tears.

“First time I’ve ever heard the National Anthem play because of me. I think I would just tell that person good job. Like against all odds, you made it happen,” while also adding the tears spoke of years of sacrifice and hard work. Suddenly, the Eureka moment struck as Hunter figured out something!

In a high-pitched voice, he exclaimed, “Holy cow! I was in lane 6!” He then flipped his mobile to show Tara the image of him from last year’s Worlds, where he was seated on the lane 6 mark, dismayed, as one of his prosthetics was detached. For context, he had to withdraw from the event for his prosthetics malfunction. To this Tara, who was seated on the set, replied, “No way! That is crazy!” So what was the crazy part about it?

Coincidentally, in Paris also, Hunter competed from Lane 6! “I won. I won out of lane. And the whole day I just kept seeing sixes,” he said as an image from his recent 400m race popped up, showing him seated on the lane mark again that flashed the same number. “That’s so crazy that I was in six. I just realized that just right now,” he said with a wide grin on his face, exhibiting near disbelief. If Hunter has found this connection, we have more ‘6’s to add to it!

As things stand, the race took place on September 6. The win in the 400m came after Hunter lost in the T62 100m race despite pulling off his personal best time. Ironically, in that failed attempt, Hunter had managed to grab the sixth place only! If Hunter has this intriguing connection to 6, Tara also has hers in 8. Her redemption arc in Paris had something to do with the digit 8, she believes. After her win, she had made a revelation of how she already knew it was her day and that she would emerge the victor.

She remarked, “I’ve been dreaming of this moment for so long, ever since I was four years old. I’ve gone through hell and back. I’ve faced everything you could imagine.” But on D-day, she boosted herself with, “I told myself, ‘8/08 — that’s the day I win the Olympics,” for her finals were on August 8, which adds to 8-8. But this was not it. She continued, “When I found out I was jumping at 8:00pm, I knew it was perfect. 8/8/8. That was a sign from God.” That sign seems to be quite prominent in the lives of the two since they find almost everything happening to them at the same time.

“We do everything together. We train at the exact same time, go to the weight room the same time, we come home, we cook together, and then in the evenings, we’ll go over our film from practice and talk about what we did good, what we can work on and how we can get better,” Hunter had said in an interview with Today. Interestingly, in the initial days of their relationship, Cupid also struck them together!

Awesome twosome: Hunter Woodhall’s winning trick

It all started in 2017, when they were in high school. By that time, Hunter was competing and winning. And it was the tracks that brought them together. The pair had recounted on their YouTube channel, that they were both at the Simplot Games in Idaho when they caught each other’s eyes. “I just like saw him and was like, ‘Oh who’s that?” Hunter had recalled. It did not just stop there. A bold declaration followed.

“I was like, ‘Damn that girl’s fine. I’m gonna marry that girl,'” Hunter had revealed to have told his friend. But it was not Hunter alone, Tara had also spotted him. As he was getting ready to compete, Tara did something unusual. “I stepped onto the track and said, ‘I don’t know why I have to do this, but I have to give you a hug,'” Tara had recalled in a conversation with Town & Country.

After that epic beginning of their relationship, they followed each other on social media and officially started dating in June 2017. They both started college at different universities that fall. Tara at the University of Georgia before transferring to the University of Texas, and Hunter at the University of Arkansas.

But the long-distance relationship stood the test of time. “We balance our long-distance relationship by having communication, trust, and patience. Over the past four years, we learned how to communicate and operate as a couple,” Tara had told Elle in 2021. Understanding each other’s goals and professional commitments has made their relationship a success, according to Tara.

The couple finally tied the knot on October 16, 2022, at the D’Vine Grace Vineyard in McKinney, Texas, and had their two dogs, Milo and Winnie, as ring bearers, People reported. “Ever since we started dating, Hunter and I have talked about getting married. We truly saw each other for the rest of our lives and this is just so surreal. We’ve hit so many milestones together and this is the biggest one,” Tara had told the outlet back then. Ask them what is the core value of their relationship.

According to Hunter, “There’s zero chance that we would be doing what we’re doing if we didn’t have each other, for sure.” Indeed, if one is good, two are better!