“Truthfully, this training season, I have been grinding like I’ve never grind before. I think getting second in Budapest was a blessing in disguise. Last year, I was working hard but wasn’t doing the last rep of abs or finishing the last rep of 150s as hard as possible. I was going through the motions. This year, I am taking every rep and making it like my first rep…This year, I am just giving myself a chance. It’s almost insane to watch myself do this because I’ve never been that die-hard of a track athlete. This year, I’m honing in on that. I think that also comes with my maturity in the sport. I’m turning 25 this year. I feel like I’m getting older and figuring out the way of life a little bit.”
Tara Davis-Woodhall joins the show just days after winning the U.S. Indoor Track and Field Championships. She went 7.18m for the world lead, the second longest mark in U.S. women’s history and moved her to No. 6 on the all-time world list.
Last year, she earned her first global championship medal with a silver at the World Championships in Budapest. She is the U.S. long jump favorite for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, where she’ll try to make her second Olympic team. She was sixth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Among the topics discussed in this episode:
– Why she decided to give the 60m hurdles a try and how it benefits her long jump
– Her reaction to jumping 7.18m
– What are her goals for the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow
– What is her training group like under coach Travis Geopfert
– Sandi Morris’ influence on her in the weight room
– How has her mindset changed from how she approached the Tokyo Olympics and future championships
– Her reaction to World Athletics’ proposal to change the long jump
– What event is she looking forward to the most as a fan at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials
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