Meet Tara Davis-Woodhall's athletic family: Paris Paralympics gold medalist husband, former sprinter and coach father

Tara Davis-Woodhall is currently one of the most dominant track and field athletes in the country. The Texas-born is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in the women’s long jump, with a best effort of 7.10m to win the finals. No other long jumper could cross the 7.00m mark. Tokyo Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo and Jasmine Moore secured the silver and bronze medals with 6.98m and 6.96m.

However, Davis-Woodhall is not the only athletics superstar in their family. Her father Ty Davis was also a track and field athlete representing Texas A&M University and served as an Athletics coach, specializing in sprinting and jumping events like triple and long jump disciplines.

He also coached Tara from when she was four years old until she attended college. Ty Davis also accompanied Tara to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics as her coach. In addition to her father, Tara, the youngest of five siblings, developed an interest in the long jump after being inspired by her older sister who also participated in the sport.

Slowly but steadily, she rose above the ranks in athletics. First, she won three events at the CIF California State Meet while competing for Agoura High School in 2017. Secondly, she shattered the World U20 record in the 60m hurdles in 7.98s time at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships. She also smashed the collegiate record in the long jump with a best effort of 7.14m at the Texas Relays held in 2021.

Tara’s husband, Hunter Woodhall is a five-time Paralympic medalist. He achieved his first gold medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the men’s 400m T62 with a time of 46.36s, ahead of Johannes Floors (46.90) and Olivier Hendriks (46.91).

Notably, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall married in October 2022 at D'Vine Grace Vineyard in McKinney, Texas, after meeting each other at a track meet in Idaho in 2017.

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s mother opens up on how she supports her daughter

Tara Davis-Woodhall at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s mother, Rayshon Davis Ayers, opened up on what she does to support her daughter, during an interview with KNWA TV’s Alyssa Orange. She said:

“For me, it’s just supporting her, being there, for her, listening to her. Sometimes she doesn’t want to hear talk back, she just wants to vent and that’s what we do. We’re here to just let her lean on us any way that she can.”

In the same interview, her parents Ty and Rayshon also showed their pride in Tara for being an extraordinary athlete and the person she has become. Ty and Rayshon were also in attendance at Stade de France to encourage their daughter at the Paris Olympics.