Beyond the track with Tara Davis-Woodhall

PITTSBURGH – Tara Davis-Woodhall brings unmatched personality and energy to the sport of track and field. With a large social media following outside of track, all it takes is one look at her profile, and you’ll not only be impressed by her athletic ability, but you’ll also be hooked by her fun and friendly personality.

Something you might be surprised to learn about Tara — AKA: America’s Cowgirl and the 2024 Paris Olympics long jump gold medal winner — is that she is only 5’3”. Something else you might be surprised to learn is that Tara is a plant mom, she loves a good box combo from Raising Canes, and she is perpetually on the hunt for the world’s best chocolate chip cookie and has to try one in every city she visits. With no shortage of interesting hobbies and passions, Tara Davis-Woodhall is a strong advocate for the future of track and field, her family and, of course, fun.

With a successful social media career on top of a decorated professional Track & Field career, it’s important to maintain a healthy balance between rigor and relaxation. Tara’s self-care go-to’s include journaling often, therapy, and hanging out at home with her husband, two dogs and cat. Tara laughed and added to the list of self-care habits that she “loves a good bubble bath.” She also owns over 40 houseplants and takes care of her own atrium, which helps her unwind and keeps her mind off other things. “I’m a plant mom,” she said. “I love to plant things.”

Tara also has some very relatable guilty pleasures. She said, “I love a good box combo from Raising Canes: no slaw, extra fries.” Recently, she’s been watching the Bachelor, and she laughed again when she said that she just loves a good “bed-rotting” moment. Additionally, whenever Tara travels, she is always searching for the world’s best chocolate chip cookie. Out of all the places she’s been so far, Tara said the best one she’s had had been in San Diego of all places, followed by New York.

All of this helps her stay in the moment, which is something she emphasizes no matter where she is. “If it’s at the track, it’s in that moment. If it’s at home, it’s in that moment.” Doing track for so long, Tara has managed to find the perfect balance between her work, training, and rest, although being the great athlete she is, she said track is never much of a stressor because of her love and passion for the sport.

Tara listens to a lot of music. More specifically, an artist she loves is Billie Eilish. When asked why, she said, “I like that she talks about mental health in her songs a lot.” This is important to Tara, who is passionate about sharing her story and being a role-model for others to look up to because, Tara said, “I never had anyone in my sport with [stories about mental health], so I could never relate to anyone. I want to try and be that person.” Building up others to not only be strong athletes physically but mentally is so important and is easily overlooked. Tara’s personality and passion for track and mental health advocacy make her a great pillar of what a well-rounded athlete is.

Tara Davis-Woodhall is surrounded by family and friends who push her to achieve everything she puts her mind to. “Family is everything,” she said. When asked who some of the most influential people in her life were, Tara immediately said that her husband, Hunter, is her ride or die and everyday training partner. As a gold-medal Paralympian himself, Tara acknowledged the unique gift it is to be able to train with her partner every day. “He inspires everything I dream of, and he’s working harder than ever to get to that moment,” Tara gushed. Both Tara and Hunter have amassed a significant social media following and share their training and daily lives with their followers, inspiring them through sport and fun content.

Additionally, Tara nurtures her relationships with her family by calling them almost every day and bringing them along in everything she does. “Whether it’s going to an event in Florida or going to Vegas for a weekend and spoiling them,” Tara said she does this because she wouldn’t be where she is without her friends and family who have always pushed her to pursue her dreams. Her dad especially was her first coach, from the day she was born until she was around 20, and Tara loves to give back to those who gave so much to her in any way she can.

Tara Davis-Woodhall is a young athlete with undoubtedly many years of continued success ahead of her. Her vision for the next five years alone is evidence of that. Tara said, “The next five years are wild. I want to change the sport; I want more viewership.” Broadly, Tara desires to contribute to the movement for greater accessibility to watching the sport of track and field. She also hopes to bring more visibility to the Paralympics and Paralympian athletes. And, she is definitely a huge part in growing awareness and viewership for these things, especially with her social media accounts which, in the next five years, she hopes to be able to continue to build her social media empire. Personally, Tara of course has her eyes on making the Olympic team again and winning a world championship. Casually but with every ounce of intention, she said she also hopes to “break a world record maybe, that would be fun.”