Hunter Woodhall facts for kids
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Woodhall at the 2024 Bislett Games
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| Born | February 17, 1999 Cartersville, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Education | University of Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country | United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track and Field | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Hunter Woodhall (born February 17, 1999) is an amazing American track and field athlete. He is known for winning medals at the Paralympic Games. He won a gold medal in the 400-meter race at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. He also earned a bronze medal in the same event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
Hunter first competed internationally in 2015. He won silver and bronze medals at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships. Later, he earned a bronze and silver medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. After finishing high school, he made history. He became the first athlete with a double amputation to get a scholarship to an NCAA Division I university.
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Hunter Woodhall's Early Life
Hunter Woodhall was born in Georgia, USA. His father was serving in the military at the time. When Hunter was 11 months old, doctors decided to remove both of his legs. This was because he had a condition called fibular hemimelia. This condition means some bones in the lower leg are missing or incomplete.
Hunter grew up in Syracuse, Utah. He was homeschooled until fifth grade. When he started public school, some kids bullied him because of his disability. At first, he used regular prosthetic legs. But then he switched to special carbon fiber "blades" for running. These blades helped him join a track team and become a fast runner.
Hunter Woodhall's Athletic Journey
While attending Syracuse High School, Hunter competed for the United States National Paralympic Team. He took part in big international competitions. His first international event was in 2015. There, he won a silver and a bronze medal at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships.
By his senior year of high school, Hunter was one of the top 20 runners in America for the 400-meter race. He ran it in just 47.32 seconds. He competed in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. He won a bronze medal in the men's 400 meters and a silver medal in the men's 200 meters. Because of his success, the mayor of Syracuse City, Terry Palmer, declared September 15 "Hunter Woodhall Day."
When he finished high school, Hunter was named the 2016 Male High School Track Athlete of the Year. He then made history again. He became the first track and field athlete with a double amputation to receive a Division I athletic scholarship. He accepted this scholarship to the University of Arkansas.
College Career and Beyond
In his first year at the University of Arkansas, Hunter competed against runners without disabilities. He ran in six indoor track meets and seven outdoor meets. His hard work earned him a bronze medal in the 4 x 400 meter relay at the SEC Outdoor Championships. He was also nominated for the NCAA Game Changer of the Year award. He was named a First-Team All-American in two relay events.
During his second and third years, Hunter continued to improve. He ran his fastest 400-meter race in 46.22 seconds. He also became a three-time All-American in the 4 x 400 meter relay. In his junior year, Hunter started sharing his story on TikTok. He talked about how he lost his legs. This led to an invitation to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. On the show, he received $20,000 to help him reach his Paralympic goals.
Hunter achieved a major goal at the 2024 Summer Paralympics. He won a gold medal in the 400-meter T62 event. He celebrated this huge win with his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall. She had also won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics just before him. Hunter also won a bronze medal in the mixed 4 × 100 meter Universal Relay, running the third part of the race.
Hunter Woodhall's Personal Life
On October 16, 2022, Hunter Woodhall married his longtime girlfriend, Olympian Tara Davis-Woodhall. They first met at a track meet in Idaho in 2017. Together, they run a popular YouTube channel where they share their lives and experiences.
Their celebration after Tara's gold medal win in the women's long jump at the 2024 Summer Olympics was very exciting. Many news outlets shared their happy moment.
