KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall are familiar names at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
I spoke to them as the power duo began a new life at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.
“I love purple lanes,” Tara said as we walked a lap together. “I mean, I won gold on a purple lane, that was cool.”
Lauren Leslie / KSHB
Tara had to make countless leaps of faith to get here.
“I wanted to bring something to market that was previously unattainable, and I exuded that energy all season,” she said.
She won her Olympic gold medal in the women’s long jump at the recent Games in Paris.
Bernat Armangue/AP
“The crowd went crazy, they were roaring,” Tara said. “I fell back to the sand and looked up at the arena.”
You’ve probably seen photos and videos of what she describes. The internet has done its thing, picking up the moments Tara describes and gaining fans around the world.
“I ran up to Hunter and he shouted that I was an Olympic champion,” Tara said. “He was the first person to ever call me an Olympic champion, so that’s pretty special.”
Bernat Armangue/AP
With her gold medal around her neck, Tara is still one of the most genuine people I have ever met.
Talking to her was like meeting an old friend. As we walked and talked, we discussed her winning moment and her journey with Hunter.
But we also talked about so much more, like her favorite drink at Starbucks, one of her favorite finds in Paris, and what’s next for her.
Now all K-State fans are screaming: “EMAW (Every Man A Wildcat)!”
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Tara is now an assistant coach for K-State’s track and field team.
Travis Geopfert, K-State’s director of track and field and cross country, also serves as coach for Tara and Hunter.
“I hope I can be an older sister to these athletes,” Tara said. “I will coach, but I also want to be a mentor to them.”
Tara had her big moment with Hunter as her biggest cheerleader. Now it’s his turn to compete for a gold medal or two at the Paralympics in Paris next week.
Hunter has won three medals in the past.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
“We did everything we needed to do this year to be in a good position to compete well and run fast,” Hunter said.
And Tara will cheer just as loudly as Hunter.
“It’s just something we love,” he said.
But their goals are even bigger than just medals.
Emilio Morenatti/AP
“We want to get people’s attention on the long jump and we want people to be interested in the Paralympics,” Hunter said.
Geopfert said he was thrilled to bring the pair to K-State.
“I know they are superstars who go beyond athletics, but fundamentally they are great people and they stay true to themselves,” Geopfert said.
But first, more hardware needs to be brought from Paris.
“A lot of people have told me you have to be tired, but I’m honestly not,” Geopfert said. “You know, I think these student-athletes re-energize me and I’m ready for another year.”
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Together, Tara and Hunter want to continue reaching for the stars – with every step and every leap.
“When a dream and a goal is achieved, I feel like I have done my job,” Tara said.
The Paralympics begin on Wednesday, August 28. Hunter Woodhall’s first Paralympic competition will take place on September 1.
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