The world of track and field knows Tara Davis Woodhall as a long jump competitor representing America at the Paris Olympics. However, she also comes with a unique look—a black cowboy hat and boots—when she hits the track and field. What’s the story behind this? Is it a tradition?

Interestingly, the cowboy hat dates back to her college days, while the boots are connected to a family member. Let’s dive deeper and learn more about this unique look of the athlete.

The journey of Tara Davis’s cowboy hat from college to the Olympics

Tara Davis seems to have a special connection with the cowboy hat and is called “America’s Cowgirl.” The story about it, however, dates back to her college days. She bought that cowboy black hat with a silver band on Sixth Street in Austin while she was studying at the University of Texas. The reason for her purchase is simple: she bought it because a friend of hers used to wear a cowboy hat to track meets. While the hat with silver bands was completely random, who would have thought it would become part of her life?

After purchasing it, she “never really wore it, just kept it around,” as revealed on the Stamford Advocate website. However, after she won the NCAA Championships in 2021, Davis wore the hat for the first time. Not long after that, when she made her debut at the Tokyo Olympics, the athlete was wearing the same black cowboy hat. The 25-year-old finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and since then she’s been carrying the hat as well.

Recently, the Instagram account of the NCAA shared a video featuring Davis. In the video, she shared the story about the hat and said, “This was nationals. I was behind before this jump, and then on my fifth jump, I led by three-quarters. I ended up winning the competition, which is pretty cool. Yeah, that was the debut of the hat and the boots.” 

In the same video, the 25-year-old also talked about the boots and said, “The hat was from my teammate who would bring his hat all the time, and I thought that was really cool. And then the boots were from my grandpa, and now it’s literally my signature, and I got a tattoo of it.” You might think the cowboy hats and boots are what make Davis unique, but there’s much more to her story.

What are other interesting facts about Tara Davis?

During her early days, Davis used to compete in the age division at long jump competitions. However, if she missed a competition, her parents would tell her to give the ribbon to an athlete from her age group. While her cowboy hat’s history originates with a friend, the signature look she adopts is a tribute to her grandfather and a former teammate.

When Davis was in seventh grade, she wanted to quit track after struggling to deliver ideal performances. But not long after that, she made the decision and decided to stick with it, and now she is an Olympian. At the Paris Olympics, she is representing the USA and fulfilling her patriotic dream.

What do you think about the story of the cowboy hat of Tara Davis Woodhall? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!