“Olympics can change your life,” Hunter Woodhall’s words before the Paris Olympics hinted that he and his wife were ready to redeem themselves after disappointing World Championships outings. Hunter is eyeing a gold medal in his third Paralympics in Paris after winning two bronze medals and a silver medal in the previous two editions. On the other hand, Tara has cemented her legacy as an Olympic champion by accomplishing gold in the women’s long jump, but it appears her hunger for success isn’t satiated yet.

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s win came in the aftermath of battling a bone bruise in her heel in the build-up to the Olympics. Many expected her to take time off following her gold win, but on the contrary, she might be looking to shake things up as predicted by Rodney Green. As per the update, Tara will enter the long jump event in the Rome Diamond League, scheduled for August 30. The event will be a rematch of Stade de France, as all four top finishers in the women’s category will lock horns against each other again. So, what’s different this time? 

Well, the 25-year-old athlete was seen in an altogether different practice drill. In a snippet on Instagram, Tara appeared sprinting on the track with a heavyweight tied up to her waist. The caption of the post also remained cryptic:

“The seasons not over yet. Let’s go have some fun [emoji] See you in Rome.” Is she planning to move to track events? Surprising? Not entirely.  

In the past, legends like Jesse Owens and Karl Lewis shared equal mastery in both sprinting and long jump events. In her initial days, Tara Davis showcased a similar walk as well, stamping impressive timings in the events of 60mH and 100m. In fact, her Instagram update, before the highly anticipated Italian leg of the Wanda Diamond League, comes in the light of what former Olympian Justin Gaitlin and Rodney Green also discussed on the Ready, Set Go podcast.

And yes, stats do back their claims as well. 

In the August 15 edition of the podcast, Green said that he can see Tara David-Woodhall explore other events very soon. “She is that talented. I won’t be surprised if I see her in the 100m. I won’t be surprised if I see her trying to do a triple, I won’t be surprised at all.” This led Gaitlin to chime as he mentioned that “word on the street is that she also can hurdle a little bit too.” “We would love to see that Tara aura in more events. Let’s see what she can do, I’d love that,” Gaitlin said. Next question that comes to mind: Would Tara look out of place in the hurdles discipline? Here are the stats.

• During her time at the University of Georgia, she broke the world under-20 record in the 60m hurdles with a time of 7.98 seconds during the 2018 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
• During her high school career, she won the 100mH in 12.83s, running for Agoura High School, beating the National high school record. Tara seems to have the experience if she decides to make the move to this discipline.
• Even this year as well, she competed in the Razorback Invitational, where she took the third rank in the 60-meter hurdles event. 

At the Paris Olympics, Tara leaped 7.1 meters and nobody was able to surpass the score including Germany’s Malaika Mihambo, who won gold in Tokyo. In fact, Tara was the only athlete to touch or cross the 7-meter mark.

Immediately after her win, she jumped into her husband’s arms to celebrate as they both hugged and kissed each other along the fence line. Her win was a culmination of overcoming physical and mental struggles, she faced in her journey to the top.

She has been vocal about the mental health challenges having battled with depression in 2020 during her time at the University of Texas. She had been struggling with the after-effects of COVID and fractured back and even thought of quitting before deciding to fight on. 2021 proved to be a mixed bag for her as she made a collegiate record at Texas with a jump of  7.14 meters, finished second at the U.S. Olympic trials, but was placed sixth at the Tokyo Olympics.

Last year, she won the Indoor National title before it was stripped away when she tested positive for THC, a psychoactive compound found in marijuana. She then finished a lackluster second at the World Championships, adding to her disappointment. This year also came with its own set of challenges as she had to deal with an Achilles injury and an allergic reaction due to some ingredients in a protein drink in April.

“The month of April was hard for me. Mentally and physically. Days were long and hard, but I kept fighting,” she tweeted on May 4. Her fighting spirit shone through at the Olympics and Paris proved to be her redemption ground as it did for other US athletes.

With Tara Davis-Woodhall having secured her place in history, it’s now time for Hunter to set the record straight.

His 100-meter T64 heats will kick off on September 1, just after Tara’s event at the Rome Diamond League. Hunter will step in the men’s 400-meter T62 on September 6. Therefore, there’s a high chance of Tara Davis-Woodhall appearing in Paris once again. After all, just like her, it could be a redemption moment for her husband as well. 

Hunter Davis breathes fire before touching a personal milestone 

The Paris Paralympic Games will mark Hunter Woodhall’s third appearance at the Games, but despite being a favorite, he’s still chasing that elusive gold medal. Tokyo saw him leave the 100-meter T64 event empty-handed, so this time, the 25-year-old para-athlete is ready to come back with a vengeance.

Last year, he had to withdraw from his signature 400-meter T64 event at the world championships due to a blade malfunction, and he admitted, “I just kind of had to sit there and understand that was the reality of the situation, because of me not doing the right things leading up to that meet and preparing.” Now, he’s hoping to end the jinx in Paris, though a recent COVID diagnosis has thrown a wrench in his plans.

Paris 2024 Olympics – Athletics – Women’s Long Jump Final – Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France – August 08, 2024. Tara Davis-Woodhall of United States celebrates with her husband Hunter Woodhall after winning gold. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Despite this setback, he remains determined: “Unfortunate timing, but I knew it was a risk being around so many celebrating/traveling. Won’t be an excuse, gonna kick this thing and I’ll be ready for the Paralympics.” As for Tara Davis-Woodhall, she’s not about to let her husband tackle this challenge alone.

With the Paralympics starting on August 28 and the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea on August 30, Tara’s planning a quick turnaround. “We’re going to go home for 13 days, pack it up, get some more training in for Hunter, and we’re gonna be back. The party continues,” she says.

Talk about commitment! With these two pushing their limits, what do you think of their drive to redefine boundaries in their sport? Drop your thoughts in the comments!