Taking up a new role, Tara Davis-Woodhall breaks silence about her decision to move to Kansas with her husband as she gears up for the next season

Tara Davis-Woodhall revealed that she and her husband Hunter Woodhall shifted to Kansas because their mutual coach took a job at Kansas State University. The couple achieved gold in their individual events at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Having met at a track meet in Idaho during their High School senior year, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Paralympic athlete Hunter Woodhall's relationship sparked over social media conversations. They began dating in 2017 but had to shift to long-distance since the long jumper attended the University of Texas and Woodhall was enrolled in the University of Arkansas.

The athletic pair then competed at the 2020 Summer Games, where Hunter Woodhall took the men's 400m T62 bronze while his then-girlfriend finished sixth in the long jump. They got engaged in 2021 and took the nuptial vows at D'Vine Grace Vineyard in 2022.

The Woodhalls graced the Paris Olympics & Paralympics, where Tara Davis-Woodhall achieved her first gold in the long jump and Hunter Woodhall won the 400m T62 gold days later. After the Games, the long jump champion made her move to Kansas State University as the track and field coach, appointed by Travis Geopfert, K-State's director of track and field and cross country.

In an interview with People magazine, the 25-year-old revealed that Geopfert, who also serves as track coach of the Woodhalls, was the reason behind her shift to K-State with her husband.

"Hunter and I thought it was best to follow him and continue our track career because we want to go to L.A. 2028 [Olympics]."

Having lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Davis-Woodhall shared that the country life in Kansas suited her.

""I like the country, I like not being in a big city — it's not my thing."

In 2024, Davis-Woodhall made waves at the World Indoor Championships, winning the long jump gold medal with a distance of 7.07m.

Tara Davis-Woodhall shared her plans for the 2025 track season

Tara Davis-Woodhall smiling after winning silver at the World Athletics Championships. Budapest 2023. - (Source: Getty)

Since Tara Davis-Woodhall already added an Olympic gold to her repertoire, she wants to settle in with the feeling of being the reigning champion in the upcoming track season. Besides, she wants to enjoy jumping and grow in her sport.

"It'll be to just embrace the feeling of being the newly reigning Olympic champion, and just going out and jumping and competing with just the joy of that. There's nothing really hanging over my head anymore of like, 'I need to be this, I need to have this.' 2025 should just be a year of growing and rebuilding of what we did this year," she said.

Owing to her Olympic success, Tara Davis-Woodhall was nominated for her first World Athletics Awards in 2024.