Paris 2024: Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall - the Games' golden couple

Paralympian Hunter Woodhall and his wife, Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall, from Team USA, achieved gold medals at the Paris 2024 competition held at Stade de France on September 8th, 2024.

Hunter Woodhall celebrates his Paralympic gold medal with his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, who is also an Olympian. The couple shares a special moment of joy and pride after his victory.

Written by Liz Montroy on behalf of the International Press Corporation (IPC)

It was a moment that had happened at the Stade de France a short time ago, but this time the roles were different. Hunter Woodhall, an American Para athlete, was presented with a gold medal for his impressive performance in the men's 400m T62 final. He then spotted his wife, Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall, in the audience and they celebrated together.

In the beginning of August, Hunter enthusiastically supported Tara as she secured the Olympic gold medal in women's long jump. They are now being dubbed the power couple of Paris 2024, and recently had a conversation with the IPC to discuss their journey as married athletes who have both won gold medals.

"Hunter mentioned that many individuals have expressed to us that we have created a truly memorable moment during the Games."

We are not overanalyzing the situation, we are just being true to ourselves and feeling thankful for the opportunity to introduce our beloved sport to new audiences. We hope that others have been able to experience the same emotions that we have been feeling in the last month.

Their tale began when they were 17 years old at a track meet in Idaho. Even though Hunter lived in Utah and Tara in California at the time, they became friends after Tara introduced herself following one of Hunter's races.

"I thought he was really attractive when I saw him," Tara chuckled. "He was actually running the 400m race, and I walked up to the track, gave him a hug, and told him, 'I don't know why, but I feel like I have to hug you'."

"After finishing a 400-meter race, I was a bit disoriented, but I recognized Tara and I could sense that she was unique in some way," explained Hunter.

"We stayed in touch for a long time, we were friends, and then before we started college she took a chance on me. We began a relationship and the rest is now in the past."

Hunter participated in his first Paralympic Games at Rio 2016, where he achieved a silver medal in the men's 200m T44 and a bronze in the 400m event. Both Hunter and Tara took part in the Tokyo Paralympics, just one year before their wedding, where Hunter secured a bronze in the 400m T62. As they looked ahead to Paris 2024, Hunter was determined to claim his first Paralympic gold medal.

In the 400m T62 final, Hunter had to compete against strong opponents like Johannes Floors from Germany, who holds the world record. Despite the fierce competition, Hunter finished first with a time of 46.36 seconds, beating Floors and bronze medalist Olivier Hendriks from the Netherlands.

Hunter expressed that participating in his third Paralympic Games was his most enjoyable experience yet.

"It was truly remarkable, the amount of people were amazing. The atmosphere was extraordinary. And it was pure enchantment in Paris these past few weeks. It was an experience that will always stay with me."

Tara went up against tough competition from Germany on her way to claiming gold. In the final of the Olympic women's long jump on August 8th, she competed against defending champion Malaika Mihambo. With a jump of 7.10m on her fourth attempt, Tara secured the top spot and earned her first Olympic medal, following a sixth-place finish in the same event at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Even though Hunter and Tara have different training routines for their specific sports, they make sure to train alongside each other every day. They watch and record each other's practices, offering support as both teammates and partners.

"Tara expressed that having a teammate who shares the same passion for the sport is invaluable."

We both understand each other's challenges and support one another during tough practice days.

"We make sure we stay on track," Hunter said. "There are days when one of us doesn't feel like exercising or going to the gym, but the other one can push them to keep going. It really helps make tough days more manageable."

The American pair of athletes in track and field are eagerly anticipating the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games coming to Los Angeles. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent their country and compete in front of a global audience on American turf.

"I am thrilled to have a tournament in the United States," Hunter exclaimed.

I have spoken with numerous former Olympic athletes who have shared their experiences about the Atlanta and LA Games, and how extraordinary they were.

"We are excited to have many of our family and friends join us in person, especially those who can't travel overseas. It will be wonderful to visit Tara's hometown together."