Video: High school track runner with prosthetic legs inspires teammates
See what makes Hunter Woodhall so unique - and hear why he's so successful
SYRACUSE, Utah – Once he got his first taste of competitive running,
Hunter Woodhall realized that track – more than any other sport – was in his blood.
He has quickly proven he's a natural-born runner.
Woodhall made great strides in his first season running at
Syracuse (Utah), qualifying for the Class 5A state meet in the 400 meters. He has quickly emerged as an important team leader and source of inspiration for the Titans.
"Everything he does is geared toward making himself a better runner – how he trains, his nutrition, all kinds of things like that," Syracuse track coach Roger Buhrley said. "He understands the importance of little things."
Hard work defines how Woodhall approaches the sport, because few athletes have faced the obstacles he has had to overcome just to run.
Woodhall was born with a congenital birth defect called fibular hemimelia. It left him without a fibula in one leg and a club foot on the other one. His doctors did not believe Woodhall would ever learn to walk in that condition.
His parents were faced with two choices: leave the legs alone and relegate their son to life in a wheelchair, or amputate both legs and teach him how to walk with prosthetic limbs.
They opted to have both legs amputated when he was 11 months old.
Losing his legs never slowed him down. Woodhall was walking on artificial limbs at 18 months old and began devouring one sport after another as soon as he was old enough to play. His parents encouraged his athletic interests from the beginning – feeling like it would open his life up to greater things.
"We've known from an early age that God had a plan for him," said Barb Woodhall, his mother. "We've just always told him that."
Woodhall started running with specially designed blades in the sixth grade. He quickly embraced running after getting his first taste of it.
"The first time I put on the blades was one of the most amazing things ever," Woodhall said. "Something just felt right about it."
Continue reading ...He started out in longer distance races in junior high and made a gradual progression – going from 5,000 to 800 meters and eventually to 400. Starting out with the longer distances helped Woodhall build his balance and endurance, so he was ready for the rigors of high school running.
Now, as a sophomore, Woodhall has set two specific goals to go a step farther. He wants to shave his 400 time down to under 50 seconds and he wants to advance out of the 400 heats and into the finals at this year's state meet. Both goals seem attainable after a strong indoor track season in which Woodhall get his 400 time down to 50.3 seconds.
Woodhall takes satisfaction in what he has accomplished so far.
"It's a great race and extremely challenging for anybody who runs it," said Woodhall, who also runs the 200, 1,600 relay and medley relay for the Titans. "It's not just a race that anybody can jump in and excel at. It's an event that's physically and mentally challenging."
Oscar Pistorius drew global headlines when he became the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Summer Olympic Games. The South African runner entered the men's 400 and 1,600 relay races. Pistorius had to overcome initial opposition to his participation from the International Association of Athletics Federations, the world's governing body over track and field, because his blades were deemed an unfair advantage.
Woodhall has not had to endure similar scrutiny at the high school level. Many Utah track coaches and athletes are supportive of his track participation. Still, Buhrley said he hears occasional complaints about running on blades giving Woodhall an unfair advantage.
It's a ridiculous criticism from Buhrley's perspective.
"Once in a while you'll hear them talking (and saying) 'Well, that's an advantage. He's got an advantage,'" Buhrley said. "If that were the case, every world record would be held by an amputee instead of an able-bodied person. It's definitely not an advantage at all. But most people realize he's successful out there — if they've been around him at all — because he works hard."
Woodhall feels like just another runner out there. His teammates don't draw any special attention to his artificial legs. They treat him like a typical high school student and teammate.
That's exactly how he wants it. And it's one reason why Woodhall has such a good camaraderie with all of his teammates.
"My team is amazing as far as support and treating me as a normal person," Woodhall said. "They don't see me as having a disability. They see me as a normal person and push me to be the best that I can be."
Woodhall also plays on the Syracuse football team, although he plans to focus solely on track next season. He wants to dedicate himself full-time to the sport – but not just for the usual reasons like improving a personal record or winning a race.
Woodhall feels like he runs for a higher purpose beyond personal glory.
"I'm not just competing for myself," Woodhall said. "A lot of times when I go to events or when I go to hospitals, I see other kids who don't have that ability and it really just touches your heart. Other than just making you love your sport a lot more, it gives you something to run for."
And it's one reason why nothing is going to slow Woodhall down any time soon.
John Coon covers Utah High School Sports for MaxPreps. You can reach him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
