Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall have been the talk of the town at this year’s Olympics and Paralympics. Not only did the power couple both snag gold medals in their respective track and field events, but they made headlines for something else too—their first instincts were to run straight into each other’s arms after winning. And those sweet, heartfelt hugs? Yeah, that set social media on fire, with everyone wanting to know more about this dynamic duo.

Their love story kicked off way back in 2017 when they first met in high school. Fast forward four years, right after the Tokyo Olympics, they got engaged. The long-distance struggle was real with their colleges miles apart, but they made it work and tied the knot on October 16, 2022, in Texas. Hunter called it their ‘fairytale ending,’ and honestly, it’s been smooth sailing ever since as they’ve faced every challenge together. So, how does Tara Davis-Woodhall see Hunter as a para-athlete?

Well, in the September 11th episode of the Olympics.com podcast, she gave a refreshingly candid take. “No, I never looked at Hunter to have a disability. I kind of forget that he has two prosthetics most of the time. So I think the only part that would ever change is just him taking off his legs and that’s not really often. He doesn’t use his disability as any excuse, so it’s pretty refreshing to see that and to just watch him do what he does. It’s very inspirational.” And really, what’s not to love about that?

Tara and Hunter have been each other’s rock through thick and thin, and it’s easy to see why. Tara even admitted that when she first saw Hunter stretching before his 400m event back in 2017, she was instantly intrigued. “I just saw him and was like, ‘Ooh, who’s that?’” she recalled with a laugh. And yes, she made the first move. The rest, as they say, is history.

But let’s not forget that both have had their share of ups and downs in their careers. Hunter lost his legs at just 11 months old due to fibular hemimelia and was bullied growing up. Instead of letting that define him, he persevered and became a champion. Meanwhile, Tara faced a suspension in 2021 after testing positive for THC and even lost her Indoor World Championship title. But like Hunter, she didn’t let the setback break her. Now she’s an Olympic gold medalist.

And here’s the kicker: these two didn’t just lean on each other emotionally; they actually shared a secret weapon during their competitions. Tara Davis-Woodhall tried it first, and when Hunter saw how well it worked for her, he jumped on board too. What was it?

Tara-Davis Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall’s secret weapon during the Olympics and Paralympics

As an athletic power couple, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall have trained together and often use the same winning strategies. And when it came to the Olympics and Paralympics, they didn’t just rely on physical prep—they tapped into some mental tricks too. One of those? Journaling. Tara Davis-Woodhall had written down a powerful affirmation before her Olympic event, stating, “I will be the Olympic champ, and I am strong and fast.” Spoiler alert: she manifested that gold medal.

Seeing how much journaling helped Tara, Hunter decided to give it a try too. He told USA Today, “Tara has taught me a lot, and one of them has been like the power of self-affirmation and journaling.” He even shared what he wrote in his journal: “I brought my journal in these past few days, I’ve been writing in there, ‘I will be the Paralympic champion.'” And just like his wife, that wish became reality when he bagged the Paralympic gold.

It’s clear that they’re not just pushing each other physically but also mentally, with journaling becoming their shared secret weapon. This practice of mental affirmation worked wonders for both mentally, giving them an extra edge in their competitions. With this dynamic duo, who knows what summits they’ll conquer next?