The Paris Olympics proved to be a major stage in the 2024 season for many athletes. Indeed, the fans were treated to a feast of action-packed performances from both iconic athletes and rookies. However, Team USA’s Tara Davis-Woodhall delivered a notable performance, securing her career-first Olympic gold medal in the women’s long jump finals at the Stade de France.

Tara achieved one of her major goals in her athletic career, and she was in an uplifting mood throughout the campaign. Indeed, she also watched her husband Hunter winning his Paralympic gold medal, and it was a delight for the couple. However, despite all her achievements, she experienced a mental breakdown post-Olympics, marking a particularly challenging period in her life. It was a complex situation for the athlete, but eventually, she got out of it and unveiled her future plans in the sport.

Success comes with its own price

As the 2024 season approached, Tara Davis-Woodhall faced numerous challenges within the sport. Indeed, the athlete was the focus of many eyes during her Olympic campaign. However, all the anticipation around her further increased when she secured her career-first World Indoor Championship title in Glasgow. So, she headed to the Stade de France with a lot of confidence in her and didn’t disappoint the crowd, as she earned the Olympic gold medal. The way she and her husband Hunter celebrated the accolade went viral on the internet, setting a new standard for many couples.

However, Tara also fought her demons right after such a prolific achievement, as she revealed during an interview with Self, stating, “I definitely had an Olympic hangover, as they say, but it also wasn’t really a full one because I never had downtime. I feel like the people who have the real hangovers—it’s like, they’re doing something, they’re doing something, and then they stop. But we’ve been continuously on the go since.” Mental health is indeed complex, and going through such a situation is tough. 

From the start of the campaign, Tara was fully focused on establishing benchmarks in the field events. So she didn’t get much time, rather than just being focused on her goals. However, when she achieved what was needed, she got lost in her thoughts, eventually causing a mental breakdown filled with overthinking about the future. “The real question is like, What’s next? What am I shooting for? My whole life goal was the Olympic gold, so it’s like, How do I dream more? What more do I want from this sport?” said Tara.

However, did the Olympic gold medalist find out what she wanted to do? Yes, she did! Tara unveiled her goals, stating, “And I’ve realized what I definitely want is the world record. I can say now, I figured that out. Mentally, I’m ready for the season to begin, and I’m ready to train. But yeah, for a second, I had this moment of, ‘What am I supposed to do?'” 

For a long time, in the women’s long jump, Galina Chistyakova’s record of 7.52m has stood unbroken. However, with a personal best of 7.24m, Tara has her sights set on breaking that long-standing world record. Despite the challenging circumstances, Tara continued to look forward to her ambition. But was she alone during these tough times? Absolutely not!

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s biggest support system

The answer to Tara Davis-Woodhall’s biggest support system is straightforward: it’s none other than her husband, Hunter Woodhall. Both of them have been together for a long time as a couple, and they have developed a deeper understanding of each other. Hunter has also supported her throughout her field career, so, as did Tara, when it came to him wanting to become a Paralympian, which he eventually achieved. Both of them have achieved numerous goals in their lives together, and they are each other’s biggest supporters.

“Oh yeah, he’s my venting person-whatever I gotta say, he gets to hear it. He’s like my in-home therapist when I can’t talk to my actual therapist. He just makes everything better. Even going to these events, I could not imagine going to them alone,” said Tara during an interview with Self, revealing how her husband supports her with everything. Mental breakdowns are common, but who needs a therapist when you have a husband like Hunter? They have been through a lot, and working out their problems has made their relationship even stronger.