Hunter Woodhall drops 5 word message as he gears up for season opener after Paralympic glory

After achieving Paralympic glory last year, Hunter Woodhall will be making his season debut for 2025 at the Drake Relays. As he gears up for the race, the American recently dropped a five-word message, showing his enthusiasm for the competition.

In July 2024, Woodhall dominated the field at the US Paralympics Trials to qualify for his third-consecutive Games. In Paris, Woodhall won his first ever Paralympic gold after storming to victory in the men's 400m T62 event. At the Games, he also won bronze as part of the 4x100m mixed relay team.

Earlier this month, Hunter Woodhall announced that he would be kicking off his 2025 season with an appearance at the Drake Relays. Recently, the American took to his Instagram story to re-share a post outlining the 400m line-up at the Drake Relays, and showed his excitement for the competition by writing:

“Stacked race, let's get it.”

Via @hunterwoodhall on Instagram

For Woodhall, 2024 was an incredible season even outside of his Paralympic victory. In May last year, the runner competed at the World Para-Athletics Championships in Kobe, where he walked away with a silver medal in the men's 100m T64 and the men's 400m T62 events.

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Breaking down Hunter Woodhall’s competition at the Drake Relays

In Picture: Woodhall in action at the Paris Paralympics (Image Source: Getty)

The 2025 Drake Relays are scheduled to take place at the Drake Stadium in Des Moines between April 24-26. While Hunter Woodhall has a T62 Paralympic status, he will be competing with able-bodied athletes later this month.

Outside of Woodhall, the 400m field at the Drake Relays will feature Wil London, Chidi Okezie, Sean Bailey, Zandrian Barnes, Payton Mauldin, Khaleb McRae, James Milholen. Each of these runners boasts of strong performances in the 400m distance.

London is a World Championships gold-medalist in the 4x400m relay event, while Okezie is a three-time Nigerian national champion. Meanwhile, both Bailey and Barnes have represented Jamaica at the Olympics, while Mauldin, McRae, and Milholen have excelled on the NCAA circuit.

As Woodhall and his fellow runners gear up for the Drake Relays, fans are promised an exciting competition. Outside of the 400m, the event will see Tara Davis-Woodhall participate in the women's long jump, while 100m hurdles Olympic Champion Masai Russell will compete in her speciality event.

For Hunter Woodhall, this will mark the beginning of what he will hope is another memorable season. For 2025, the American’s focus will likely be zeroed in on the World Para-Athletics Championships, where he will be in the hunt for his first gold medal.