“They [doctors] said I’d never walk, so I learned to run instead,” reads T62 400m Paralympic champion Hunter Woodhall’s Instagram tagline. Indeed, he learned that superbly.

On 6th September 2024, at Stade de France, Hunter won his first gold in the T62 400m clocking 46.36 seconds. His ascent to the podium was more remarkable since he outran the world record holder and defending Paralympic champion in the event, Johannes Floors of Germany. An elated Hunter had stated, “This is like a fever dream” after the win.

The win came as a redemption for the two-time world championship silver medalist after a disappointing sixth-place finish in the T62 100m race. However, he pulled himself up and unleashed his true potential on the T62 400m track, finally claiming the golden glory. But his journey from becoming the first double amputee athlete to earn a Division I athletic scholarship to finishing at the top of the Paralympic podium wasn’t a smooth ride.

Born with fibular hemimelia, a condition that prevented lower limbs from developing fully, Woodhall’s legs were amputated at just 11 months of age to improve the overall quality of life. But his disability wouldn’t deter Woodhall from making a name for himself. He went into sports and bloomed into a sprinter. But, the very first obstacle that Woodhall faced was getting into college.

Speaking on Rising Phoenix YouTube, Hunter Woodhall revealed how challenging it was for him to find a college that was willing to accept him. “I did not get a single letter from any of the schools; I didn’t get recruited by a single college, and I was like there’s something going on. I had teammates that were running and competing at a much lower levels nationally; they were all getting recruited, and I was like, ‘There’s got to be something here,’” he recalled.

He further expanded on his struggle to find a suitable college, stating most were unsure if he could perform with his disability and achieve the level needed to be a professional sprinter.

“A lot of it was just uncertainty, like, can this kid run indoor track? Can this kid run with able-bodied kids? How is he going to train with my kids at the track? All these questions. I just sat with coaches and answered these questions, and I got a trip out to New Balance Indoors to prove that I could run on an indoor track and compete. It was about finding a school that was willing to stick their neck out for me because at the time they had to put a scholarship out without knowing whether I could actually be able to compete in the NCAA, with the rules and stuff,” Hunter revealed. But finally, he got someone who went above and beyond to find a college that would accept him.

It was Tracy Sundlun, who was a coach at USC, and with his efforts, Hunter Woodhall finally found a college ready to believe in him. “Arkansas was one of those schools. From the beginning, they said, ‘Hey, we believe in you; we got your back; we wanna fight for you.’ And since I got on campus in Fayetteville, I was like, ‘This place is special, man; there is something about it,’ so yeah, that was kind of my process, and it was, yeah, it was a dream come true,” he revealed.

However, in between his struggles, Hunter Woodhall found someone who would stand by him through thick and thin.

Train together, win together, says Hunter Woodhall about his rock

When Hunter Woodhall surged past the finish line in T62 400m, one person was particularly beaming with joy. Tara Davis Woodhall, Paris 2024 Olympic long jump champion and Hunter Woodhall’s wife, rushed through the tracks to embrace her husband after some moments in the stands. “I was so nervous, I was so pumped – knowing he was ready to run and how much he wanted to win. And now he has. It was a dream for us to both win gold and now we have. We’ll be wearing these golds for the rest of our lives,” Tara had said.

She has been a constant support for his Paralympian husband, pushing him to achieve his dreams. Hunter has often credited his wife for her support, saying, “Every day with Tara, we’re eating together, training together, recovering together. As Hunter puts it, there is one thing that Tara has taught him is ‘self-affirmation”. So how does that work?