For someone who has dreamed of Olympic glory since the age of four, the thought of walking away from the sport seems unimaginable. Yet for Tara Davis-Woodhall, the professional Olympian and long jumper, the moment of doubt stopped her and made her rethink her track and field journey. She revealed how she grappled with leaving the track and field in a very personal way. A sport that had defined her for so many years was the problem.

With the overwhelming responsibility that has been placed on her and the problems she has been confronting, Tara drew up a list of pros and cons, weighing up a life of freedom with the ambitions she has cherished since she was a child. Tara Davis-Woodhall was seen with her husband, Hunter Woodhall, on a Beyond The Records Podcast, and she spilled the beans on her quitting. When Noah Lyles asked Tara if there was a point where she thought of quitting, the answer was affirmative, “Yeah, I made a pros and cons list.”

Noah Lyles further asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what was on the pros and cons list?” While balancing personal and professional life, one feels so many emotions at the same time. Tara stated about the pros and cons, “The pro: I could go live with Hunter, and I could—pro quitting is to live with Hunter. I don’t have to run; I don’t have to think about track anymore. Like, that was my identity.” But is it practically possible to quit what she loved the most throughout her life, and it made her who she is today, to quit that easily? That’s when the cons came in.

Tara continued and explained the cons, “So, the con was, like, I don’t get to live out my dreams. I’ve dreamed this since I was four years old. I’m just going to quit. I’m not a quitter. Um, there is, like, I was like, I want an Olympic gold medal. I want to see myself, like, attempt to just be okay. And, like, there were just so many cons, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, like, I should just stick it out and give it one more chance to see what happens.’”

This all happened back in 2022 when she left the University of Texas to join the University of Georgia and faced differential treatment from coaches. Tara was not taken in the main team by Texas because she was more potent and talented than other athletes on the coach’s side. But Tara was always backed by her husband, Hunter.

Tara and Hunter Woodhall support each other at every step

Attraction, which began on social media and ended with the marriage of Tara Davis and Hunter Woodhall, has a substantial base of unconditional support that they are willing to extend to each other. The journey of the couple started in 2017 when they met at a high school track meet. She once told their first interaction, “I stepped onto the track and said, ‘I don’t know why I have to do this, but I have to give you a hug.’” And with that, they don’t leave any moment to surprise each other.

Their experiences, on the track, were developed at the beginning, and eventually, they got married in October 2022. Both athletes have spoken directly about the significance of holding to each other as the key points of their strengths. But how do they manage their long-distance relationship? “We balance our long-distance relationship by having communication, trust, and patience,” Hunter Woodhall once said.

“Everyone’s been telling me the whole world’s been seeing it, [but] that’s just Hunter and I. He’s my biggest supporter, and I guess the whole world got to see how much he supports me,” Tara Davis-Woodhall told PEOPLE. By representing the power of love and resilience, their story is a remarkable example of how being with a good life partner, every challenge becomes a stepping stone to greater heights.