Hunter Woodhall

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Hunter Woodhall

| image = Hunter Woodhall (Bislett Games 2024).jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Woodhall at the 2024 Bislett Games

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|02|17|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Cartersville, Georgia, U.S.

| hometown = Syracuse, Utah, U.S.

| education = University of Arkansas

| spouse = {{marriage|Tara Davis-Woodhall|October 16, 2022}}

| country = United States

| sport = Track and Field

| turnedpro =

| pb =

| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Country|the {{Flagu|United States}}}}

| show-medals =

| updated =

}}

Hunter Woodhall (born February 17, 1999) is an American track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in Men's 400 m T62 at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, following a bronze medal in the same event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

He made his international debut in 2015 with a silver and bronze medal at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships and later won a bronze and silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. After graduating from Syracuse High School, he became the first double amputee to earn an NCAA Division I scholarship.

Early life

Woodhall was born in Georgia, United States while his father was serving in the military.{{Cite web |last=Mansch |first=Scott |title=Family, faith help Hunter Woodhall persevere |url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/sports/2016/07/09/family-faith-help-hunter-woodhall-persevere/86910400/ |access-date=September 6, 2021 |website=Great Falls Tribune |language=en-US}}{{cite web |title=Hunter Woodhall |url=https://www.teamusa.org/para-track-and-field/athletes/Hunter-Woodhall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906104413/http://www.teamusa.org/para-track-and-field/athletes/Hunter-Woodhall |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |website=teamusa.org |access-date=December 16, 2019}} Woodhall's parents decided to amputate both of his legs at 11 months old due to fibular hemimelia. Raised in Syracuse, Utah, he was homeschooled until fifth grade and upon entering public school he was bullied for his disability.{{cite web |last=Laase |first=Eden |title=After losing his legs shortly after birth, Hunter Woodhall found his place on the track |url=https://www.si.com/olympics/2017/07/13/hunter-woodhall-track-and-field-paralympics-arkansas |website=si.com |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=July 13, 2017}} Although he was initially given prosthetic legs, Woodhall switched to carbon fiber "blades" for running and joined a track team.{{cite web |last=Underwood |first=Steve |title=Paralympic medalist Hunter Woodhall excited to compete at NBNI |url=https://www.nationalscholastic.org/nbin/article/2042 |website=nationalscholastic.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=February 10, 2017 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216224515/https://www.nationalscholastic.org/nbin/article/2042 |url-status=dead}}

Career

While attending Syracuse High School, Woodhall competed with the United States National Paralympic Team in international competitions. He made his international debut in 2015 with a silver and bronze medal at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships.{{cite web |title=Teenage Talents: Hunter Woodhall |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/teenage-talents-hunter-woodhall |website=paralympic.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=May 9, 2017}}

By his senior year, Woodhall was ranked 20th across America in the 400 m run with a time of 47.32 seconds.{{cite web |title=T-Mobile Game Changer of the Year Nominee: Hunter Woodhall |url=https://www.flotrack.org/articles/6050087-t-mobile-game-changer-of-the-year-nominee-hunter-woodhall |website=flotrack.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=November 21, 2017}} He competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics where he won a bronze medal in the men's 400 meter and a silver medal in the men's 200 meter. As a result, Syracuse City's Mayor, Terry Palmer, deemed September 15 "Hunter Woodhall Day."{{cite web |last=Park |first=Loretta |title=Syracuse declares 'Hunter Woodhall Day' after teen gets 2nd Paralympics medal |url=https://www.standard.net/sports/high-school/syracuse-declares-hunter-woodhall-day-after-teen-gets-nd-paralympics/article_61f2598e-2cb7-5a1b-8df1-1dac1413d488.html |website=standard.net |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=September 15, 2016 |archive-date=December 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191216224524/https://www.standard.net/sports/high-school/syracuse-declares-hunter-woodhall-day-after-teen-gets-nd-paralympics/article_61f2598e-2cb7-5a1b-8df1-1dac1413d488.html |url-status=dead}} By the conclusion of his high school education, Woodhall was named 2016 Male High School Track Athlete of the Year.{{cite web |last=Tammaro |first=Brianna |title=2016 U.S. Paralympics Track & Field High School All-Americans Announced |url=https://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2016/October/19/2016-US-Paralympics-Track-and-Field-High-School-All-Americans-announced |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022153213/http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2016/October/19/2016-US-Paralympics-Track-and-Field-High-School-All-Americans-Announced |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 22, 2016 |website=teamusa.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=October 19, 2016}} Upon graduating, Woodhall became the first double-amputee track and field athlete to earn a Division I athletic scholarship, which he accepted at the University of Arkansas.{{cite web |last=Lieberman |first=Stuart |title=Arkansas Bound, Hunter Woodhall Becomes First Double-Amputee To Earn D1 Track Scholarship |url=https://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2017/May/15/Arkansas-Bound-Hunter-Woodhall-Becomes-First-Double-Amputee-To-Earn-D1-Track-Scholarship |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170520191330/http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2017/May/15/Arkansas-Bound-Hunter-Woodhall-Becomes-First-Double-Amputee-To-Earn-D1-Track-Scholarship |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 20, 2017 |website=teamusa.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=May 15, 2017}}

In his first year at the University of Arkansas, Woodhall competed in the SEC Conference alongside non-disabled runners.{{cite web |last=Deckelbaum |first=Kyle |title=Beyond the Game: Arkansas double amputee sprinter 'shows people what's possible' |url=https://katv.com/sports/beyond-the-game/beyond-the-game-arkansas-double-amputee-sprinter-shows-people-whats-possible |website=katv.com |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=February 3, 2019}} He competed in six indoor meetings, running 1:58.04 over 800 meters and seven outdoor meetings, running 47.42 seconds over 400 meters. His times earned him a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 meter at the SEC Outdoor Championships.{{cite web |last=Lieberman |first=Stuart |title=Hunter Woodhall, A Paralympic Medalist And D1 Sprinter At Arkansas, Looking Forward To Tough Season Ahead |url=https://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2018/September/06/Hunter-Woodhall-Paralympic-Medalist-D1-Sprinter-At-Arkansas-Looking-Forward-To-Tough-Season |website=teamusa.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=September 6, 2018}} By the conclusion of the season, he was nominated for NCAA Game Changer of the Year and named a First-Team All-American in the 4 × 400 meter Relay and Distance Medley Relay.{{cite web |last=Mayforth |first=Tyler |title=2019 NCAA DI Indoor Track & Field All-America Honors |url=https://www.ustfccca.org/2019/03/featured/2019-ncaa-di-indoor-track-field-all-america-honors |website=ustfccca.org |access-date=December 16, 2019 |date=March 11, 2019}} During his sophomore and junior years, Woodhall ran a lifetime-best 46.22 seconds in the 400 meter at the SEC outdoor championships and became a three-time All-American in the 4 x 400 meter.{{cite web |last=Wyman |first=Elizabeth |title=How Hunter Woodhall Is Paving A Path Both At The Paralympic Games And University Of Arkansas |url=https://www.teamusa.org/News/2020/April/06/How-Hunter-Woodhall-Is-Paving-A-Path-Both-At-The-Paralympic-Games-And-University-Of-Arkansas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200409141842/https://www.teamusa.org/News/2020/April/06/How-Hunter-Woodhall-Is-Paving-A-Path-Both-At-The-Paralympic-Games-And-University-Of-Arkansas |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2020 |website=teamusa.org |access-date=September 27, 2020 |date=April 6, 2020}} While in his junior year, Woodhall joined the video sharing app TikTok where he shared the story of how he lost his legs. As a result, he was invited to The Ellen DeGeneres Show where he was given $20,000 to help him with his 2020 Paralympic goals.{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Madeline |title=20-year-old Paralympian gets $20,000 from Ellen DeGeneres. He was also part of the 4 × 100 m team that broke the world record at 40.61 at Rio 2016. He won gold. |url=https://runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/20-year-old-paralympian-gets-20000-from-ellen-degeneres/ |website=runningmagazine.ca |access-date=September 27, 2020 |date=January 30, 2020}}

Woodhall won a gold medal at the 400-meter T62 event at the 2024 Summer Paralympics.{{Cite web |date=September 6, 2024 |title=Hunter Woodhall wins 400-meter at Paralympics weeks after wife claims gold in Olympics |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/hunter-woodhall-wins-400-meter-paralympics-weeks-wife-claims-gold-olym-rcna169993 |access-date=September 7, 2024 |website=NBC News |language=en}} He celebrated with his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall, who had previously won gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web |last=Lev |first=Jacob |date=September 6, 2024 |title=Paralympian Hunter Woodhall joins wife as a gold medal winner this summer in Paris |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/06/sport/paralympics-hunter-woodhall-paris-gold-spt-intl/index.html |access-date=September 7, 2024 |website=CNN |language=en}} He also won bronze in the {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} Universal Relay where he ran the 3rd leg.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/schedule/para-athletics/all-days/4x100m-universal-relay |title=4x100m Universal Relay, Schedule & Results |author= |date=September 6, 2024 |website=paralympic.org |access-date=September 8, 2024}}

Personal life

On October 16, 2022, Woodhall married his longtime girlfriend, Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall.{{Cite web |title=Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis Are Married in Fairytale Ceremony: 'Everything We Dreamed' |url=https://people.com/sports/hunter-woodhall-and-tara-davis-are-married/ |access-date=September 17, 2023 |website=Peoplemag |language=en}} They had met at a track meet in Idaho in 2017. They operate a YouTube channel together.{{Cite news |last=Treisman |first=Rachel |date=27 August 2021 |title=Meet Olympic Power Couple Hunter Woodhall And Tara Davis |work=NPR |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/08/26/1030667168/olympics-couple-hunter-woodhall-tara-davis}} The Woodhalls' celebration of Davis-Woodhall's win in the women's long jump at the 2024 Summer Olympics received significant media attention.{{Cite web |last=Kindelan |first=Katie |title=Olympic power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall celebrate gold medal win |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/olympic-power-couple-celebrates-wifes-gold-medal-win/story?id=112712804 |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=ABC News |language=en}}

References

External links

{{World Athletics|united-states/hunter-woodhall-14646306}}
{{TFRRS|6584634}}
{{Team USA|new_id=hunter-woodhall-863917|old_id=Hunter-Woodhall|sport=para-track-and-field|archive=20200623230445}}
{{IPC|hunter-woodhall}}
[https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/hunter-woodhall_2487066 Hunter Woodhall] at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics ([https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/hunter-woodhall_2487066 alternate link], [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024-paralimpicos/atleta/hunter-woodhall_2487066 alternate link 2])

Category:1999 births

Category:21st-century American sportsmen

Category:American amputees

Category:American male sprinters

Category:Arkansas Razorbacks men's track and field athletes

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Paralympics

Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Paralympics

Category:Living people

Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics

Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Paralympics