US sprinter Hunter Woodhall doesn’t need to look far for inspiration at this year’s Paralympic Games.
The 25-year-old has the chance to win his first Paralympic gold medal in the 400m T62, having watched his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall become the Olympic long-jump champion just two weeks ago.
Woodhall had traveled to watch his partner compete in the French capital and was the first person to celebrate with her when she won the gold medal – the pair sharing an emotional embrace as she leapt into his arms at the front of the stadium.
“It was incredible, so surreal. I’m so proud. I’ve never wanted something so badly for somebody else,” Woodhall told CNN Sport before flying out to Paris.
“Every single day this year, we’ve just tried to do the right things. This is what we train for. Nothing is guaranteed in sports, in athletics anything can happen. So when it actually does go the way that you plan it to, and you just have that moment of relief, it’s surreal. It was a really special moment.”
The couple met during a high school track meet back in 2017 and married five years later.
Over the years, they have formed a formidable partnership both on and off the track, pushing each other to reach heights that neither thought was possible.
They now spend almost every minute with each other, whether that be training on the track or in the gym, eating practically the same diet or working to grow their already huge social media presence – the couple have over 866,000 YouTube subscribers to their channel, which chronicles their sporting careers and relationship.
While Davis-Woodhall has now reached her lofty potential by securing an Olympic gold medal, it’s over to Woodhall to replicate her achievement this week.
Paris will be the sprinter’s third Paralympic Games, having burst onto the global stage back in 2016.
As a teenager, he won a bronze and a silver medal at the Rio Games and then claimed another bronze in Tokyo. That gold medal, though, has so far stayed elusive.
“That’s the goal,” added Woodhall, who recently recovered from a bout of Covid-19 before traveling to France.
“This has been the most consistent I’ve ever been. It’s the most dialed in I’ve ever been. And I’m running the best I’ve ever ran. I’m the most fit I’ve ever been.
“You know, I can’t control what anybody else does, but what I can do is make sure I go out there and give it my best effort and do exactly what I can.”
Woodhall came sixth in the 100m T64 in Paris on Monday with a time of 10.96 seconds. Costa Rica’s Sherman Isidro Guity took gold in a Paralympic record 10.65 seconds, with Maxcel Amo Manu of Italy and Germany’s Felix Streng claiming silver and bronze respectively.
Like every Paralympian competing in Paris this year, Woodhall’s journey hasn’t been straight-forward.
He was born with a fused right ankle and a condition called fibular hemimelia, which affected his left leg. Just before he turned one, he had both his legs amputated from the knees down.
While life-changing, the procedure allowed Woodhall to get fitted with prosthetic legs, defying some who said he would never be able to walk.
Given his father was in the Air Force, Woodhall and his two older brothers were home-schooled at first, but his parents would always emphasize the importance of exercise.
It meant Woodhall spent his early years chasing after his brothers, trying his hand at various sports. It was, as he said, a “great environment to be raised in.”
But life became a little more difficult when Woodhall enrolled into public school in fifth-grade. It was there that he really recognized his differences, and initially struggled with bullying from other children.
In search of somewhere to feel comfortable, he eventually found track and field. Unlike other sports where coaches would sometimes feel nervous about letting him play, athletics allowed Woodhall to express himself.
“It was just me versus the clock and I found peace in that. I found excitement in that. It’s just up to me to get a little bit better,” he said, admitting it took a while before his talent shone through.
“I kind of fell in love with that process and it took me a while. From seventh grade all the way up until my sophomore year of high school, I was not impressive in any way on the track.
“But just all those years of dedication and little changes, getting a little better every year, definitely added up. It got me to where I am now.”
Not only is Woodhall now one of the best para sprinters in the world, he has also become one of the faces of this year’s Games and wants to use his profile to champion the Paralympics.
For some, the extra popularity would come with unwanted added pressure, but Woodhall is just happy to help get more eyes on the sport.
Paris dreams
Having spent time helping his wife prepare and compete in Paris last month, Woodhall might have a secret weapon up his sleeve for this year’s Paralympics.
He said he used his time visiting Europe to analyze how long his body took to adapt to the differing time zones – something he said was a huge advantage when planning his own preparation.
His time in France also allowed him to familiarize himself with the Stade de France, a venue he hopes to win gold in later this week.
“I think the visualization was huge. Just seeing how everything kind of goes down, seeing the stadium, the practice track, just all of it. I got an up close and personal look,” he added.
After falling short in the 100m final, Woodhall will hope to win his first Paralympic gold medal in the 400m event later in the week. The final takes place on September 6.
Whether he wins the elusive gold or not, the American is just happy to have the chance to live out a seemingly impossible dream.
