Just a month after his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, took home Olympic gold in the long jump, Hunter made headlines himself on Friday. At the Stade de France, the double amputee claimed Paralympic gold in the 400 meters (T62 category) with an impressive time of 46.36 seconds, leaving Germany’s Johannes Floors and the Netherlands’ Oliver Hendricks to take silver and bronze, but not without making a statement.

Woodhall ripped his bib off as he stormed away from the finish line. There was a message; it read: “Wyatt Woodhall: This one is for you.” Hunter couldn’t materialize a win in Tokyo, albeit he settled for bronze in the same event. And this was in the same year when his uncle Wyatt died from cancer. Right after the win, the couple rushed to find each other, embracing each other for a long time. It looked as if neither husband nor wife ever seemed to want to let go…

Hunter Woodhall’s journey began with a tough choice his parents had to make: whether to amputate his legs due to fibular hemimelia, a genetic condition that is as rare as affecting about 1 in 10,000 infants, leading to underdeveloped lower limbs. At just 11 months old, both his legs were amputated.

“From the day I was born, it was put in my parents’ hands to decide what was going to happen to me. They had the choice. I could have kept my legs and been in a wheelchair or something,” he explained. A choice that wasn’t in anyone’s control, but there was this one realization that would change things forever—an eighth grader who settled as the last, competing against non-disabled bodies, to finish the semifinal race of his local junior high championships.

The crowd roared for him. At first, he wondered, “Why would they clap for the loser?” It wasn’t long before the Syracuse native could answer his own question, “They’re cheering because I don’t have legs.” But what about his mother, Barb?

Barb would often say, and most certainly believed, “God gave him an extra dose of tenacity.” Homeschooled till the fifth grade, he was often picked on by bullies at school. And it was not long before Hunter learned to stay reserved, sharing the pleasantries of life with a strong group of friends. Beyond that, he would spend most of his time hanging out with his parents and two older brothers. In an interview from nine years ago, KSL Sports interviewed Barb when Hunter was just a sophomore student in Utah.

As a sophomore, Hunter competed in two relay races at the state track and field championships, where he reached the finals in the 5A 400m, where he finished third. A 16-year-old Hunter would already become a local favorite who said this in the post-race interview: “I went out there expecting to be on the podium, and I ended up doing it. Most importantly, I went out and had a good time. I just ran a pretty good race for myself.” His mother couldn’t be more proud of him!

“He has never looked at himself as being disabled,” she said. “He’s just one of the other kids. Just continually amazed us with what he did and how he would do it and how he’d overcome every obstacle that people would put in front of him.

“We knew early on had a plan for him, and we continued to see things unfold in that plan.” 

Raised in Georgia and Montana before settling in Utah, Hunter’s parents, Steve and Barb Woodhall, have been steadfast supporters throughout his journey. To boost Hunter’s confidence after he faced bullying at school, they took him to the 2010 Winter Paralympics. This experience ignited his dream of joining the Paralympic team—a dream he achieved in 2015. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, Hunter represented Team USA, winning a silver medal in the 200 meters and a bronze in the 400 meters. He continued his success with another bronze in the 400 meters at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It’s been quite a ride for Woodhall. Just a year ago, he missed the Para World Championships due to serious issues with his prosthetics. But that didn’t hold him back. Along with his gold, he also secured a bronze with Team USA in the 4×100 universal relay at this Paralympics.

However, track and field wasn’t the only sport he was passionate about.

Hunter Woodhall is running the extra mile to achieve his dreams

Hunter Woodhall has had an athletic journey so far. Trying his hand at baseball and football but truly excelled on the track with one of the top 400-meter times in the state. “When I stepped on the track,” he reflects, “it was just kind of like I knew that’s where I was supposed to be, and that’s what I was supposed to be doing.” His specific situation has motivated his determination. Provided him with a clear sense of purpose, “It’s like he’s on a kind of mission.”

During his year in college, Hunter took part in a couple of relay races during the state track and field tournament and managed to make it to the finals for the 5A 400 meters event, where he claimed third place. However, at the age of just 16 (now he is 25), Hunter had already secured a spot on the U.S. Paralympic team. A specialist even mentioned that he might surpass Oscar Pistorius based on analysis. Hunter’s mother expressed hope that his experience would motivate others by sharing: “We knew early on that God had a plan for him, and we continued to see things unfold in that plan,” his mother said.

With that in mind, it’s clear that Hunter’s incredible achievements are a team effort. His parents, Steve and Barb Woodhall, have been right by his side through it all. Their support and belief in him have been crucial to his success.