Paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhall once opened up on what motivated him to become an athlete. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, Woodhall expanded his Paralympic medal tally by adding two more medals, including a gold in the 400m T62 and a bronze in the mixed 4x100m relay, taking his total medal count to five.

During an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in January 2020, prior to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Woodhall discussed the positive reactions he received while competing in running events. The 25-year-old mentioned that people would often applaud him during races, showing their support. Here’s what he said:

“I was always in the back of the pack [in running events]. I was never one of the best on the team, but it was somewhere where I felt like I could actually be myself and, you know, through that. I remember races where I would finish last and people would still clap for me and I would always wonder like why? Why are you clapping for me? I lost.”
He further highlighted the reason behind him to pursue athletics and become a paralympian.

“And I realized that people were just content with me showing up. The kid is out legs just showing up like kudos. Yeah and I hated it, these people don’t see me as an athlete. They see me as a kid with a disability,” he said.
He added,

And that’s one of the reasons that I really wanted to pursue athletics and pursue track because I wanted people to see me as that’s Hunter, the athlete.”
Woodhall further shared that his passion for running was not solely motivated by the desire to become an athlete. Instead, he found comfort and enjoyment in the sport itself, which fueled his love for running.

Hunter Woodhall reflects on his family’s support which helped him become what he is today
Hunter Woodhall at the Paris Paralympics 2024 (Photo via Getty Images)
Hunter Woodhall at the Paris Paralympics 2024 (Photo via Getty Images)
Hunter Woodhall, who was born with a congenital condition known as fibular hemimelia, had both legs amputated at the Shriners Hospital for Children when he was around 10 months old. After the surgery, he started learning to walk using prosthetic legs.

During his feature story for the travel publication Travel + Leisure, the American revealed how his family, including his brothers, played a crucial role in shaping the person that he is today. While his brothers were the reason why he got involved in athletics, both his parents were extremely supportive. In the story, he recalled something that her mother Barb Woodhall would often tell him.

“My mom would always say, ‘It’s not that you can’t do something, you just have to find a different way to do it,’” he said.
Despite the fact that his family didn’t frequently take trips, Woodhall recalled a memorable occasion when they traveled to watch the Winter Paralympics to encourage him.

“My parents wanted to show me what’s possible and out there,” the track and field star said.
Notably, Woodhall’s father, Steve Woodhall, was in the military and also served in the Air Force. Although Hunter was born in Georgia, his family eventually shifted to Utah. However, their family had to frequently move from one place to another due to his father’s service in the Air Force.

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