Olympian-Paralympian Couple on Inclusive Cultures: ‘It’s Awesome to Be Unique’

Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall know what it feels like to be excluded.

Hunter Woodhall—who was born with fibular hemimelia, a condition that prevented the proper development of his lower limbs—lost his lower legs when he was 11 months old. Growing up as an amputee, he said, he continually heard the same sentiment, especially when it came to his interest in sports and running. “[People kept telling me] ‘No, it’s not going to happen. You’re not built for this. You should find a different path,’ ” he explained Nov. 6 at SHRM INCLUSION 2024 outside Denver.

Even during high school, when Woodhall was running some of the best times in the nation, he didn’t get a single recruiting call from a college. “It was a question of, ‘Why?’ I [felt] like I had all the boxes checked. Why am I not able to get into this sport? The answer was, ‘It’s never been done.’ ”

Meanwhile, track and field athlete Tara Davis-Woodhall—Woodhall’s wife—grew up in Dallas, which she said was very diverse, before moving to Calabasas, Calif., when she was 11 years old. There, she discovered a very different cultural situation: She was the only Black girl in her school.

“I didn’t understand why I was always the one that was picked on, until I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s because I’m the only Black girl,’ ” she explained during their shared conversation.

But at one point, the athletes both experienced shifts in their mindsets, they told conference attendees, and they realized their differences were gifts and helped make them who they are. Those differences also taught them the value of perseverance and working hard—which has put them at the top of their field, quite literally. Woodhall won a gold medal in the men’s 400-meter T62 race at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, following a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the same event. (T62 is the classification for track athletes who have had both legs amputated below the knee and compete using prostheses.) Meanwhile, Davis-Woodhall won a gold medal in women’s long jump at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

“In my sport, there are other Black girls and African American athletes, and so when I was in the sport, I felt like I belonged,” Davis-Woodhall said.

Now, the couple not only are proud of their differences and how they have impacted their success, but they advocate for inclusion and diversity—both in athletics and beyond.

“For so long … it’s been fighting for the right, fighting for the respect, fighting for other people to see our value and what we want to see happen in sport,” Woodhall said.

Now it’s also about shedding more light on inclusion, he said.

“We want to show people that it’s awesome to be different; it’s awesome to be unique,” Woodhall said. “And you can do really, really incredible things—regardless of what your physical attributes or situation is.”

Emily M. Dickens, SHRM chief of staff, head of government affairs, and corporate secretary, who moderated the conversation, said the philosophy of advocating for inclusion and celebrating successes is applicable to HR professionals who are advancing the inclusion and diversity (I&D) space.

“You have the ability to do great things. You have been doing great things,” Dickens said to attendees in the general session. “Are you sharing those tactics and what you’ve been doing? I know you’ve had your head down just getting it done, but I love the idea of making sure that you’re someone that others want to see. No one talks about being that I&D professional or being that HR professional, but why not? Because you’re doing amazing things every day.”

Woodhall and Davis-Woodhall agreed, saying there need to be more conversations around inclusion and diversity, and overall a feeling of empathy, understanding, and empowerment around the issues.

“This room is an example of the progress that’s being made in our country, in our workplace,” Woodhall said. “And we want to keep that going, keep people talking about it, keep people getting comfortable with being different, and celebrate that.”