“Have to bring our videographers to come film”- Tara Davis-Woodhall gets honest on track and field’s visibility amid effort to build reach

Olympians Tara Davis-Woodhall and Jordan Chiles took the stage as featured speakers at the Variety Sports Culture Happy Hour session on June 17. The 30-minute session offered insights from two athletes engaged in different sports, gymnastics and track and field.

In the discussion, Davis-Woodhall brought attention to how track and field athletes are disadvantaged by current broadcast norms. She mentioned that despite the growth in media outlets covering sports, track and field still gets very little coverage.

Tara Davis-Woodhall explained how difficult it is for a field athlete to make an impact on live television. The Olympic gold medalist shared that she and her husband, Hunter Woodhall, hire camera crews to film their performances.

“It’s really hard to find clips of track and field. So we have to bring our videographers to come film and actually make my and Hunter’s jumps and running a little bit more sexy. So it can be appealing to the naked eye for someone who’s not a track fan. We have to go a little bit deeper into our social media to make it an actual brand,” Davis-Woodhall said (via Variety).

Davis-Woodhall has built a strong social media presence and uses it to address the gap in track and field coverage on television. She often shares behind-the-scenes content through YouTube and Instagram.

While social media offers wide exposure, she also spoke about its downsides, including frequent criticism from online users.

“We’re putting ourselves out there and, honestly, it fuels the hell outta me when someone says I can’t do something. My Facebook is very polished, my Instagram is good, then TikTok is unhinged,” Davis-Woodhall said.

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s journey in track and field has not been without struggles. She has battled depression, body image issues, and anxiety, but still managed an exceptional campaign, especially at the Paris Olympics.

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“You’ll get paid more being in college than pro”: Tara Davis-Woodhall's message to upcoming athletes

Tara Davis-Woodhall at 2025 Diamond League - BAUHAUS-galan - Source: Getty

Following the conclusion of the NCAA D1 Track and Field Championships, Tara Davis-Woodhall shared a message for collegiate athletes. She encouraged them to continue competing at the college level if they still have eligibility, rather than turning pro.

“If you collegiate athletes are thinking about going pro and have more eligibility left… don’t go pro! Stay in college. You’ll get paid more being in college than pro… being a pro athlete isn’t always glitz and glamor… you have to take care of everything yourself… and pay hella people just to get you to point A to B,” Davis-Woodhall posted via Threads.

Screenshot of Post (threads/@_taarra_).

She was last seen in action at the Stockholm BAUHAUS-galan on June 15, 2025, where she clinched the title with a 7.05m jump, surpassing Larissa Iapichino and Jasmine Moore.