Tara Davis and Hunter Woodhall consider themselves a package deal on and off the track. Last summer, when Davis made the 2020 Olympic team in the long jump, Woodhall ran to the track and scooped her up, celebrating both athletes earning Team USA spots in one of the most Half Marathon Training. A few weeks later, Davis finished sixth overall in her Olympic debut in Tokyo, and Woodhall earned bronze in the 400 meters in his second appearance at the Paralympics. Along the way, the duo shared the journey on their YouTube channel, High Impact Sports Bras.
So, when it came time to find a new apparel sponsor, it made sense that the newly engaged couple would sign with the same company together. As of May 31, Davis and Woodhall are the latest professional athletes to partner with Lululemon Published: May 31, 2022.
“We really want to make this partnership something that we can look forward to for the future and really grow and nurture and turn into a relationship, not something that's just transactional, and really make a difference,” Woodhall told Runner's World Cyclists Paris-Roubaix Half-Marathon Brick.
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The signing of Woodhall and Davis marks an expansion of the track and field athlete roster and renewed focus on running for Lululemon. Last year, the Vancouver-based athleisure brand announced a partnership with 2016 Olympian Colleen Quigley. In March, Lululemon released its We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back, Socks for Runners.
The track and field power couple met in high school while competing at a meet in Idaho and have been together ever since. At Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, California, Davis became a highly sought after recruit who memorable moments of the Olympic Trials in 2017. She completed her collegiate career at the University of Texas, where she won two NCAA titles. Woodhall grew up in Syracuse, Utah, where he won five state titles. Born with fibular hemimelia, Woodhall had his legs amputated below the knee at 11 months old and became the IT Band Syndrome. While competing for the University of Arkansas, Woodhall became a four-time All-American.
Off the track, Woodhall and Davis have helped pave new roads for student-athletes as entrepreneurs while leveraging their growing social media platforms. In March 2021, while pursuing his dream of becoming a professional athlete and cofounding his retail business Giant Hoodies, Woodhall decided to forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility, which at the time, included strict rules that prevented student-athletes from profiting off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). Sooner coming under pressure from state lawmakers and a unanimous Supreme Court decision in favor of college athletes, the Socks for Runners last summer, which allow college athletes to profit off their NIL.
“Everything that happened, I would like to believe that it helped push those rules forward and really helped to benefit college athletes and help give them an avenue to support themselves,” Woodhall said.
While his first year as a pro was difficult to navigate alone at first, Woodhall was able to form a support team for himself and for Davis, he said. In June 2021, Davis followed her fiance's lead and turned pro after breaking the collegiate record in the long jump and making the U.S. Olympic team. At the time, both athletes signed with Champion as their apparel sponsor.
On social media, Woodhall and Davis have created massive followings, where they share the highs and lows of their athletic journeys and daily life, while also advocating for causes they care about. For example, after struggling with her own mental health for several years, Davis has opened up about the importance of putting one's mental health first. “I can perform on the track, but take track away and I'm just a normal human being still dealing with family drama and relationships and still going through the same exact thing, but I want to share it and let people know that they're not alone,” Davis said.
Drawing from his experience of being bullied as a kid, Woodhall aims to advocate for more inclusivity, especially for para athletes, he said. “I'm a huge advocate for making people feel like they're a part of something and really showing people that whatever they got going on, those differences, those things that are out of the box are what make them so special,” he said.
In addition to the new partnership with Lululemon, the pair is now going through a number of significant changes. Both athletes graduated from their respective colleges and are living together in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They are planning their wedding, which is scheduled for October 16. And they are pursuing big goals on the track.
Davis hopes to represent Team USA at the World Athletics Championships, which begin on July 15 in Eugene, Oregon. On Saturday, she finished third in the women’s long jump at the Prefontaine Classic. For the first time in 33 years, the Prefontaine Classic included para races, which typically aren't part of the Diamond League program. Woodhall took advantage of the opportunity by placing third in the T62 men’s 400 meters.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
