America’s Olympic Hope Tara Davis-Woodhall Reveals Similarity With Dawn Staley That Triggers Her Track and Field Wins

The 2023–24 NCAA women’s college basketball season turned heads this year. The newly premiered ESPN documentary series, which focuses on the thrilling season and win put up by Coach Dawn Staley and the reigning champion South Carolina Gamecocks women’s team, is buzzing the world of basketball.

The series showcases three main players: Caitlin Clark from Iowa, Kamilla Cardoso from South Carolina, and Kiki Rice from UCLA. Ahead of the series launch, Dawn Staley opened up about her special bond with her star player, center Kamilla Cardoso, revealing a common winning factor they both share. Surprisingly, this shared trait also resonates with track and field athlete Tara Davis-Woodhall.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, Coach Dawn Staley, and Kamilla Cardoso share a common connection

In a recent Instagram story, Tara Davis-Woodhall, the 2024 World Indoor Champion in the long jump, shared her winning mentality ahead of the Paris Olympics. She shared a post by Dawn Staley, the head coach of the South Carolina Lady Gamecocks, discussing her thoughts about center Kamilla Cardoso’s role in the win in ESPN’s documentary series “Full Court Press.“

The teaser shared by ESPN featured a line from Staley, stating, “I’m a Taurus, she’s a Taurus. We don’t like to lose.” Inspired by this, Tara added her own aim for the year, boldly declaring, “I’m a Taurus.” As we reflect on this intriguing connection, let’s explore how Tara Davis-Woodhall has been dominating the track in 2024.

The long jump champion’s track and field journey so far in her second Olympic cycle

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s journey to the Olympics has been fueled by her relentless drive to succeed. After narrowly missing out on gold at the 2023 World Championships, she transformed her disappointment into motivation, pushing herself harder than ever before. “Second place flipped a switch for me. [Now,] I show up to practice on time, I grind harder than I ever have, I pay attention harder than I ever have, I’m frustrated about the small things because I know those small things are important,” she told Olympics.com.

This determination paid off as she clinched gold at the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, followed by an outstanding performance at the Arkansas Twilight on May 3, 2024. With a world-leading jump of 7.16 meters, Davis-Woodhall not only dominated the event but also set the stage for an exceptional outdoor season.

Her commitment to excellence echoes in her mantra of pushing herself beyond limits and mirrors the attitude of South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and center Kamilla Cardoso. Like Tara has said, “I have to put something out so far that no one can touch it. And that’s what I’m doing now.“ As she prepares for her second Olympic run, fans anticipate witnessing this same tenacity and spirit at the Paris Olympics.