Tara Davis-Woodhall is heading back to Tokyo — but this time, she’s chasing more than just a medal.
Fresh off a world-leading jump and qualification for the 2025 World Championships, Tara sat down with Denise to reflect on her journey. From making her Olympic debut in Tokyo back in 2021, to overcoming personal battles, to now being a beacon of joy on the runway.
In this episode of Speak Your Piece, Tara opens up about her mental health journey, what it means to compete with freedom, and how she’s learned to bring joy into every phase of the sport. She also shares what clicked in her jumps at USAs, what she’s manifesting for Tokyo 2025, and why she’s more locked in than ever to become a world champion.
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🎤 About Speak Your Piece:
A raw, real, and reflective platform where athletes and everyday people speak their truth. We talk about sports, culture, hot takes, life lessons, and everything in between — through the lens of a twenty-something still figuring it all out. No filters, no fluff, just facts and feeling.
About Me (Denise):
I’ve been in the track & field media game for over a decade — first as an athlete, then a student-reporter, and now a full-time journalist. I hold both a B.A. and M.A. in Sports Journalism from Michigan State University and competed as a varsity athlete while chasing stories.
I’ve worked with the best in the game — covering NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Draft, the WNBA, Millrose Games, Prefontaine Classic, Junior Olympics, and the Olympic Games — creating content for The Players’ Tribune, Grand Slam Track, World Athletics, NBA, Yahoo Sports, USATF, MileSplit Inc. and more.
Speak Your Piece is my way of continuing that mission: telling stories the right way, spotlighting different journeys, and creating space for real conversation.
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