"By the time I realized, she had walked away" - When Hunter Woodhall opened up on receiving a hug from wife Tara Davis-Woodhall in their first meeting

Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall are track and field's power couple. Over the years, they have continuously wowed fans with their performances. The duo is vocal about their relationship and their love for each other and once opened up about the first time they met.

The Woodhalls were the stars of the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics. Tara Davis-Woodhall was in action first, competing in the long jump at Stade De France and storming to her maiden gold at the Games. In a moment that has since gone viral on social media, the American ran to hug her husband immediately after her win, melting hearts everywhere.

Meanwhile, Hunter Woodhall was also successful in his conquest at the Paralympics, winning gold in the men's 400m T62 event and bronze in the 4x100m mixed relay.

In 2022, the couple had opened up about their first meeting, with Tara Davis-Woodhall revealing that she went up to hug her future husband without any prior conversation.

“In 2017 Hunter and I went to the Simplot Games not knowing who the heck the other was. I saw him warming up and I was like ‘wow that guy is really attractive’. So I didn't say anything, I went up to him and hugged him, while he was on the track. I said ‘I don't know why I have to do this but I have to hug you’,” she said on the Ali On The Run podcast.

Woodhall then narrated his end of the story, saying that he did know who Tara was.

“Tara says we didn't know each other but I knew who Tara was, she didn't know who I was, which is fine. At the time, Tara was one of the best high-school athletes in the country, like she has national records, she's a dog. And I had just finished a 400m, so obviously my state of mind was not in the right place, you know.”

He went on to add that their first meeting was over before he realized what had happened, saying,

“It was the Simplot Games so the track is like two feet away from the ground so she actually had to walk up steps, like she was walking on a stage. So I (found it) kinda surreal like ‘what is going on here, why are you in front of me’. And by the time I realized what was going on it was over and she had walked away. And I spent the rest of the track meet trying to accidentally run into her to start a conversation but I got scared.”

Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall on when they finally got to know each other

While Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall shared a hug in their first meeting, the duo revealed that except for a casual conversation while collecting medals, they couldn't speak to each other much.

On the same podcast, the long jumper went on to narrate that they'd only begun to talk to each other a month after their original meeting but quickly became inseparable then.

“We started talking like a month later maybe, we didn't follow each other on social media. Then, he came to California for a track meet in April, and we met again for the first time. Still not really hanging out that much but like just texting but then summer came around, and he came to California, and I lived in California so I drove to say ‘hey’ and we hung out and (we've been) inseparable, ever since then.”

Since their first meeting, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall have become one of track and field's most successful couples. Most recently, the duo announced their move to Kansas as Davis-Woodhall has taken up the role of assistant coach at K-State.