"Being a girl in sports is so scary"- Tara Davis-Woodhall opens up about struggles faced by women athletes as she gears up for the Olympics

Tara Davis-Woodhall opened up about the challenges of being a woman in the athletic realm. According to her, being a girl in sports is scary because of its unpredictability; on some days she feels fit, while on others she second-guesses her hardwork because of weight retention.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, 25, started her 2024 season by leaping to a new world 7.18m at the 2024 USATF Indoor Championships. She maintained her win streak by sweeping the long jump gold (7.07m) at the 2024 World Indoor Championships.

But her wins came after she had struggled with body dysmorphia early in her career. In April, at a Team USA Media Summit roundtable, Tara Davis-Woodhall opened up on getting teased by boys for her athletic muscular build. She wore a 'sweatshirt every single day' in middle school to feel comfortable in her body.

Recently, she addressed an issue on her Instagram stories, speaking of the struggles of being a woman in sports. She also expressed that some days are fine health-wise while on other days, her body retains weight, resulting in her second-guessing her career.

"Being a girl in sports is so scary. one day you're the fittest you've ever been, the next your body swells up retains weight and makes you second guess everything you've done."

Tara Davis-Woodhall speaking up on the struggles women face in sports; SOURCE - Tara Davis Instagram

During the Team USA Media Summit held in April, Davis Woodhall talked about her struggles with body dysmorphia over the years and how the 25-year-old finally felt the freedom to train harder and flex like never before. Wanting not to give up the first places to her rivals anymore. She said (as quoted by PopSugar):

"I feel good, I feel better, I feel that I can do special things. Before, that was my limit because I wasn't strong enough, I wasn't fast enough, I wasn't more powerful enough. And that's why those girls took the first place away from me."

Tara Davis-Woodhall talks about receiving help from therapy

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Davis-Woodhall had to change her school from the University of Georgia to the University of Texas, a transition that left her "in a dark place".

Speaking during the same Media Summit, Davis-Woodhall also mentioned how professional help from therapists helped her regain confidence in continuing track.

""I was able to express my feelings, I was able to get things off my chest that I had — i.e. track was hard, track was really, really hard. It's a commitment and every day, it's all on you and not anyone else," she said.

With the Olympics approaching, Tara Davis-Woodhall has nothing but the Paris gold in the long jump on her mind.