Olympic long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall is recovering from a terrifying car accident, which she caught on video and shared via Instagram.
“Last week I was involved in a head-on collision on my way to practice,” Davis-Woodhall, 27, wrote in the caption to her Wednesday, September 2 post. “Luckily I walked away without any major injuries. However, a severe concussion and other injuries have not allowed me to train. At this point I’m working with my team and doctors to get healthy, but I’m not sure if I will be ready to compete at Ultimate Championships next week. More updates to come.”
The video, appearing to be taken from Davis-Woodhall’s dash cam, shows her driving along a road connected to a parking lot. Ahead of her, another car exited the lot and veered into her lane where they crashed head-on.
Photos shared on subsequent slides showed extensive damage to the front ends of both vehicles. Davis-Woodhall also shared photos of scratches she suffered on her arms, though she reiterated during a call with reporters that her injuries are not life-threatening.
Her husband, paralympian Hunter Woodhall, responded to the post with a heart emoji. The pair married in 2022 and have continued to publicly support each others’ athletic achievements on social media.
“It’s very scary,” she said on the Wednesday call, according to Reuters. “I’m lucky and blessed to be alive and no life-threatening injuries. I haven’t trained at all due to it. I’ve seen my doctors and my physios, and everyone’s just trying to get me back into it.”
The accident happened while Davis-Woodhall was preparing to compete in the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. She was on her way to a training session at the time, though her participation is now in doubt.
“I pulled into the parking lot, and this lady just made a turn,” she said. “We were both going about 20 miles per hour, so both of our cars were totaled.”
Davis-Woodhall added, “It’s really unfortunate timing. I’m at the peak of my training right now. I’m as fast as I’ve ever been. I’m as strong as I’ve ever been.”
The World Championships feature a $10 million prize pot with each winner earning $150,000. It’s the biggest prize pot in track and field history.
“This decision is very difficult for me,” Davis-Woodhall said. “I don’t know where I am right now. So, day by day.”
Davis-Woodhall finished second at the World Championships in 2023, the last time it was held in Budapest. She followed that up by winning the long jump gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, then winning the World Championships in 2025 in Tokyo.
The World Athletics Ultimate Championships will take place in Budapest from September 11 to 13.
