Paralympic runner competes at Simplot Games

The Simplot Games are a tough competition for anyone. Athletes from far and wide, and all different skill levels come to compete.

One athlete from Syracuse, Utah has his own unique set of challenges when it comes to competing on the track.

Hunter Woodhall is a Paralympic runner. He recently competed in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, where he brought home both a silver and a bronze medal for the U.S. Now, he is competing in the Simplot Games in Idaho among some of the fastest runners in the nation. And to make his time at the games even more memorable, he is doing it on his 18th birthday.

On Friday, Woodhall competed in the 4×4 team relay and the 400 meter dash. He qualified for the finals in both events and had the fastest heat time in the dash at 50.49 seconds.

When Woodhall was born, doctors said he would never walk. His legs were amputated below the knee was he was 11 months old. But that hasn’t stopped him from being a competitor in sports.

Friday, he ran with the best of them on the track inside Holt Arena.

“There’s a lot of pride in it,” Woodhall said. “I mean, obviously, anyone at this meet has put in a lot of work and to be able to come here and perform and show all the hard work you’ve put in, is really cool.”

Woodhall said there can often be a lot of negativity surrounding athletes with disabilities. He said he has often heard that he can’t do something.

But he said he wanted to change that mindset. He didn’t set out to prove people wrong – only to prove those who believed in him right. He said he wanted to prove to himself what he was capable of.

“From the beginning of my life until now, it’s just been a progression of what I can do,” he said. “You know when I started playing sports they told me that I wouldn’t be able to succeed at sports. It’s huge for me. I mean, I’m doing things that nobody else has done before.”

Woodhall has a slight slip getting started in the dash, but was able to quickly recover to win the heat. But he said adjusting to the wood track has been a challenge for him.

“It’s a fast track for sure,” he said. “Definitely have to change the spikes that I’m running on, little bit more distance-oriented so there’s rubber on the bottom so I can have some traction and then it’s just being careful with what I’m doing. How the blades work, there’s a lot of energy going into different places so you have to know how to control that energy.”

With two great races to send him to the finals on Saturday, Woodhall seemed to adjust well and he said he was pretty happy with his performances so far.

Woodhall said he does what he does because he wants to encourage others and show them anything can be possible.

“I want to show people that you can do whatever you want,” he said. “Even if you’re missing your legs, you can come run with the best and you can do amazing things.”

He also said running isn’t about him – it’s about others who see his journey and can appreciate it with him.

“Now I’m running not just for myself and my team, but for the kids who can’t run,” Woodhall said. “I want to be that beacon to them that they can do whatever they want in life and that’s what I’m representing here.”

He said he plans to continue pushing himself in the sport to grow and continue competing.

“I want to break barriers is what I want to do,” Woodhall said. “When I started this venture to run track, I obviously wasn’t the best but I had the goal to become the best. And that goal stands – I want to be the best, whether it’s having legs or not.”

As for other plans for the future, Woodhall said he is hoping for a division one scholarship. He said he has some possibilities for college, but he’s not making any decisions yet. He said ultimately, he just wants to find a college and a program that’s best for him to continue doing what he loves.

Woodhall will compete in the finals of both of his events Saturday afternoon in Holt Arena. All Simplot Games events are free for the public to watch.