There was only one person that Tara Davis-Woodhall wanted to celebrate her Olympic medal with — and that’s her husband, Hunter Woodhall.
Tara, 25, earned the gold medal in the women’s long jump final on Thursday, August 8, quickly running to find Hunter, 25, in the Stade de France bleachers for a sweet embrace.
“It was such a relief and a ‘finally’ moment,” Tara quipped to NBC broadcasters later on Thursday. “I was just looking into his eyes and I didn’t know where I was. I almost blacked out for a second and he just made the moment so much more special.”
The victory marked Tara’s first Olympic win, which she noted felt “so surreal.”
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“I’ve dreamed of this moment and I’ve been saying ‘808, that’s the day I win the Olympics,’ I have it written everywhere,” the track and field star mused. “And when I found out I was jumping at 8:08 p.m. — that was just a God-given sign! Those are some angel numbers.”
She continued, “It’s like I can’t believe it, but I can believe it. I’ve worked so hard this season to get right here. Being undefeated was one of my goals and I told myself, ‘No one’s going to outwork me this year’ and I put something so far out there that no one could touch.”
Tara’s appearance in Paris was her second Olympics, but her first medal. As she prepared to get the gold, Hunter had been her No. 1 fan.
“Tomorrow you contend for the Olympic Title. I’m so humbled by you. You have battled through so much just to give yourself a chance,” he gushed via Instagram on Wednesday, August 7. “You’ve inspired so many with your authenticity. Showing it’s OK to struggle, it’s OK to not always be OK.”
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Hunter added, “Through everything you continued to fight for your dream. No one has worked harder. No one has been more disciplined. You inspire me every day to be great. Tomorrow is your moment. Enjoy every bit of it. You are ready .”
Hunter’s moment will come later this month during the Paralympic Games. He competes in the men’s 400-meter T62 race, which he came in third at the 2020 tournament.
“We’ll be back,” Tara quipped on Thursday when asked about Hunter’s chance in the spotlight. “This is not the end of the Olympic season. We have the Paralympics in two weeks; make sure you guys are watching [and] tune in. Hunter’s gonna do something crazy.”