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Saint-Denis, France (CNN) — Tara Davis-Woodhall overcame more than most people could ever fathom just to make the Olympics. Her podium moment on Friday showed the weight of what it took to be able to compete, let alone win.
Davis-Woodhall flew through the air on Thursday night to take home the gold medal in long jump, pacing the field with a 7.10-meter effort. It was a joyous moment for a woman who was competing in her second Olympics and has had to overcome intense injuries to rebuild her career, including two broken vertebrae, a broken ankle and a broken hip.
“It’s been a very long journey. I’ve overcome so much to get to this point, and I don’t think I realize right now I’m the Olympic champion,” she said Thursday. “It’s going to set in when I see my family again off the track.”
On Friday at the Stade de France, the weight of the moment finally caught up with her.
As she ascended the center of the medal podium to claim her gold, Davis-Woodhall seemed to be in disbelief at what was happening. She covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes looked as wide as dinner plates.
She allowed herself a few jumps of joy as the medal was brought to her and was clearly fighting back tears as it was placed around her neck.
She waved to the crowd and pumped her fists, as a lifetime of preparation finally paid off with a gold medal that contained a piece of the Eiffel Tower.
And as the “Star-Spangled Banner” began to play, it all finally got to be too much.
Tears rolled down Davis-Woodhall’s cheeks as she smiled, soaking it in. The cameras caught her whispering some words to herself: “You did it.”
It’s the moment every Olympian waits for, a dream coming true on the biggest possible stage.
As the anthem wound down, Davis-Woodhall wiped the tears from her eyes and again waved to the crowd, her body positively vibrating with delight. She ran to the stands to show her husband, three-time Paralympic medalist Hunter Woodhall, her new treasure and shared another sweet moment that echoed her leap into the stands for a tearful hug after her victory Thursday night.
It was a far cry from Tokyo when families were not allowed to attend the Games and the massive stadium which hosted track and field was mostly empty. Davis-Woodhall finished sixth in those Games, only being able to compete because they were delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, such was the extent of her injuries.
After those Games, she suffered an intense period of depression, she said.
“I did not want to be here. I couldn’t see myself being Olympic champion. After Tokyo, I was like, ‘I’m never going to do that again,’” she said. “This year has been different. I’ve doubted so many things. My nutrition, I’ve been eating red meat, and it’s the best thing I’ve probably done.”
She added, “I never let anything get me down. I tried so hard to just keep on being positive this year, keep on being motivated. That motivation turned into manifestation, and manifestation turned into reality, and the reality is I’m an Olympic gold medalist.”
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