At the Stade de France, Hunter Woodhall, the electrifying US sprinter with his prosthetic blades, had just taken home his first Paralympic gold in the T62 400 meters, flying down the track in Paris. Right by his side was his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, the Olympic long jump champ, grinning behind her sunglasses. But one moment caught the attention of everyone as Hunter Woodhall crossed the finish line first.

For 25-year-old Woodhall, winning gold was even sweeter after taking bronze in the same event at the Tokyo Games. But do you think it was the gold medal that brought tears to his eyes? Not even close. It was his emotional post-race speech that got to all of us, including him, as he reflected on the journey and the people who supported him along the way.

As he went past the finish line, Woodhall took out his bib and showed the cameras the message it carried. “Wyatt Woodhall, this one’s for you,” it read. Wyatt Woodhall was Hunter’s uncle and a longtime coach in Montana who passed away in May 2021 after a long battle with cancer. Hunter opened up about Wyatt’s significance in his life and career in a video posted by Team USA on Instagram.

“It is tough growing up as a kid with a disability. It’s tough to find people who genuinely believe in you. My uncle Wyatt was that person. He would show up to my track meets, support me, travel with me, and be excited about the sport and what I was doing,” he said.

Woodhall was born with fibular hemimelia, a condition where the fibula bone is either short or missing. At just 11 months old, both of his legs were amputated to improve his long-term quality of life. His uncle, Wyatt Woodhall played a crucial role in his journey. Hunter has spoken about how much Wyatt’s belief in him meant. In Hunter’s words, Wyatt helped lay the foundation for the gold medal-winning athlete we see today.

“We are not Woodhalls originally—my dad got adopted by the Woodhall family, by Wyatt. He brought us in, and we’ve always thought of the Woodhalls as a family of people who may not have had a place to fit in. But it means something to be a Woodhall, and that man created a legacy in our family that will last forever. My whole family was there to experience that moment with me, he shared in the interview.