Love takes Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall around the track and around the world. Tara is returning to the Olympics for the second time after representing Team USA in the long jump at the Tokyo Games in 2020. Hunter, who medaled in both the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics, will run in his third Paralympics in Paris.
Here are five facts about this couple, who hope to make Olympic history.
They have the perfect meet cute
Tara and Hunter met during their senior year of high school at a track meet in Idaho. Hunter describes it as love at first sight when they spotted each other during their warmups and says he knew then that he would marry her.
Hunter’s legs were amputated when he was a baby
Woodhall shared that he was born with fibular hemimelia in an essay for Travel + Leisure Magazine. The condition, which stops prenatal development of the lower limbs, left him without a fibula in both legs, a fused right ankle and nine toes. Doctors tried corrective measures, but eventually recommended double amputation when he was 11 months old.
Tara’s first coach was her dad
Tara’s father, Ty Davis, a Texas A&M graduate, coached her from the time she was 4 years old in Wylie, Texas, until she went away to college and afterwards. His were the first set of arms she’d jump into after a race until Hunter came along. The two have an admirable relationship, both as father and daughter and as coach and star.
Tara also endured the Sha’Carri Richardson treatment
On Feb. 17, 2023 (ironically Hunter’s birthday), Tara was stripped of her indoor long jump title after testing positive for THC, found in cannabis. “Davis-Woodhall’s period of ineligibility was reduced to one month, because her use of cannabis occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance,” the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement.
They’re dog people
Tara and Hunter have two dogs, Milo and Winnie, who make the occasional cameo on their YouTube channel: @Taraandhunter. There’s even a vlog of the day they adopted a 13-week-old Milo. Hunter’s love of dogs stems from his parents, who have a Golden Retriever named Duke.