Why did Tara Davis-Woodhall and husband Hunter move to Kansas City after the Paris Olympics? All about the couple's collective decision

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Oct 28, 2024 04:07 GMT

Olympic champion long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall has recently shifted to Kansas City alongside her Paralympic champion husband Hunter Woodhall. Woodhall took this decision after her long-time coach Travis Geopfert moved to Kansas as the track and field and cross country coach of the Kansas State University.

The American long jumper is now the assistant coach at the same institution. In an interview after the Paris Olympics, she revealed why she joined Kansas State University.

" I wanted to put something out there so far that no one could touch, and that's the energy I was channeling all season ," said Woodhall.

However, that wasn't the only reason why the Olympic champion took a leap of faith.

"I'm hoping that I could bring an older sister to these athletes,” added the American long jumper. “I am going to coach, but I also want to be a mentor for them.”

Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall moved to Kansas after the Paris Olympics and the Paris Paralympics concluded. Woodhall became the Olympic champion in the women's long jump, while her husband won the gold medal in the men's 400m [T64] event at the Paralympics. With this, the Woodhalls became the first-ever athletic couple to win an Olympic as well as a Paralympic gold medal in the same year and at the same venue.

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Tara Davis-Woodhall on her life after the Paris Olympics

Tara Davis-Woodhall [Centre] greeting the crowd at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics 2024 [Image Source : Getty]

Tara Davis-Woodhall made her debut at the Games during the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. The then 22-year-old long jumper qualified for the finals but finished in the sixth position, with a best attempt of 6.84m.

However, at the Paris Olympics, the 25-year-old long jumper left no room for errors. She took the top spot on the podium with her second attempt and further jumped up to a distance of 7.10m to win the Olympic gold medal in the women's long jump.

Woodhall is now focusing on her new job as the assistant coach at Kansas State University. In a podcast titled 'The game on 1350 KMAN', broadcasted after the Paris Olympics in August, the American long jumper said,

"I'm blessed to be able to, you know, be in these moments, you know, win Olympic gold. That's really crazy. But I think it's even, you know, more inspiring for myself to become a K-State coach; I feel like I have a lot of knowledge and experience."

Apart from her job, Tara Davis-Woodhall also took time to express her love towards her husband and Paralympic champion Hunter Woodhall. In a heartfelt Instagram post which celebrated 2 years of their wedding, Woodhall wrote,

"2 years ago I married my best friend.✨The most special day of my entire life. Each day I’ve fallen more and more in love with you! In these last 2 years of marriage, we have created memories that could last us a lifetime. I love doing life with you and everyday God shows us how blessed our life is. 2 down and a lifetime to go. I love you with all my being - 10/16/22"

Tara Davis-Woodhall is looking forward to 2025, where she will be aiming to go a step higher than the silver medal she achieved at the 2023 World Championships, held in Budapest.