Your support helps us to tell the story
In my reporting on women's reproductive rights, I've witnessed the critical role that independent journalism plays in protecting freedoms and informing the public.
Your support allows us to keep these vital issues in the spotlight. Without your help, we wouldn't be able to fight for truth and justice.
Every contribution ensures that we can continue to report on the stories that impact lives
Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
The Woodhalls are now both gold medalists.
On Friday, September 6, Hunter Woodhall took home the gold medal in the men’s 400M race at the 2024 Paralympics – just a few weeks after his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall took home her first gold medal in the women’s long jump during the Paris 2024 Olympics.
To earn his first gold medal, Hunter beat Germany’s Johannes Floors and the Netherlands’ Olivier Hendriks. The first-place win marks his fourth medal overall in the games, after winning two bronze medals and a silver medal at the 2020 and 2016 Paralympic Games.
After crossing the finish line, he made sure to immediately run over to the audience and hug his wife, mimicking the way she ran straight to him after winning the long jump. In celebration of her husband’s win, Tara posted a photo of them on her Instagram Story with text across the screen that read: “W’s only baby.”
She also edited one of her previous Instagram posts of the couple after Hunter placed sixth in the 100M race. “One final lap,” the original caption read. “This is your race! Do it for you.” After his win, Tara made sure to update the post to read: “EDIT!!! HE WON GOLD!!”
After the race, Hunter also made sure to show the camera the back of his bib, revealing a message he wrote for his late uncle who died from cancer back in 2021. “Wyatt Woodhall, this one is for you,” the bib read.
Many fans turned to social media, where they gushed over the track and field Olympians both winning gold medals within the same year. “A few months ago I didn’t know who he or his wife were. Now I love them with my whole heart,” one Instagram comment read.
Another commenter agreed, writing: “I cried big fat happy tears watching this race! Congratulations Hunter! All of your hard work and training has paid off in the most satisfying way possible! Way to go to the golden couple! Thanks for sharing the journey with us!”
The Olympic couple first gained attention last August, when a clip of Tara at the Paris 2024 Olympics went viral online. The athlete was seen immediately looking for Hunter after she won the women’s long jump final, and she jumped into his arms as he told her: “Babe, you’re the Olympic champion!”
At the time, Tara was so focused on competing in the games that she never saw all of the attention the video had gained. “I haven’t been on social media that much, so I don’t know how viral it’s gone!” she said in an interview with People. “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.”
When Tara won her gold medal, Hunter posted a tribute to her on his Instagram account. “No words to describe how proud of you I am,” he wrote, alongside a photo of them next to the Eiffel Tower.
“No luck involved, you earned this. Discipline, work ethic, and grit. These are the moments and this is your moment. Soak it in.”
