It’s Candle Day, the one time of the year (technically, make that three days) when you can go on a shopping spree for candles in luscious scents from America’s most popular candle brand, Bath & Body Works, for a wildly low price. From Fresh Balsam to Champagne Toast and Snowflakes & Cashmere, there’s a scent, holiday and otherwise, for every type of home and personality.
For Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall, her signature scent is Winter Candy Apple. For husband Hunter, well, he’s just there in support to carry her bags after a Candle Day haul. The queen of the long jump has been a Bath & Body Works stan “since I got my first real paycheck in high school.” And support is something that’s a defining characteristic of their love story.
America fell for the track and field stars after witnessing Hunter be Tara’s number one fan while she fought her way to gold at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer; she returned the favor in the stands during the Paralympic Games, where he also won gold in the Men’s 400 m T62. They’ve been on a victory lap ever since, but they’re slowing down, albeit temporarily, to celebrate the holidays in their new home in Kansas, which will be filled with lots of family (and their dogs and cat) this Christmas. They’re hosting but made it clear they’re not cooking.
“I would rather have our parents cook because it’s going to be easier that way. We’re not ready for that,” Tara says. “My grandma’s coming, my mom’s coming, his mom’s coming, his dad’s coming. My dad’s coming. The cooks are in the house; they got it.”
Hunter adds, “As far as building a winter wonderland in the house, though, the vibes will be there. We’ll be in holiday spirits, so it should be really fun. We have a lot of activities and games planned. It’s going to be a blast.”
The house will also be filled with plenty of Bath & Body Works candles, especially after enjoying Candle Day from Dec. 7-Dec. 8 (loyalty program members can start shopping today, Dec. 6 in-store and online). We chatted with the couple about being mainstays at the beloved store, bringing eyes to their sport, and what makes their love last years after they first locked eyes as teens at a track meet in 2017. This is what they had to say.
ESSENCE: You guys have had a major year. You spent a good chunk of it training and then the Summer Games came and you were killing it. You came home with gold and you warmed everyone’s hearts. So now that that’s in the rearview, are you getting to rest? And if so, what are you looking forward to most about the holiday season?
Tara Davis-Woodhall: There’s not really much resting right now. We did just start our preseason training for fall, so that’s back up. And we’ve been traveling and doing so many cool events, and honestly, I’m thankful that we’re not just sitting at home. I’m glad we’re able to get out and share our stories and show off our cool new gold medals.
Hunter Woodhall: And there was a little bit of a slump after the Olympics where things just got a little slow, and it was just kind of hard to process everything that was happening and keep up with everything going on, knowing there’s a new season coming up. So it was a bit difficult, but getting back into a routine has been so incredible, and having something to look forward to with the holidays coming up has been really special. We’re actually hosting our family for Christmas for the first time, so we’ll get to celebrate this incredible year with our family.
So y’all like the hustle! You like the movement. You don’t want to sit [laughs].
TDW: Give us a week. You give us a week, we bet you we’ll be at home on our couch just sitting there. And that is one of our favorite things to do, which is just to be at home and spend time with our dogs and our cat. Yeah, we love being at home.
I love that. I heard you bought a new home, is that correct?
TDW: Yes! We moved to Kansas and it’s different. It’s small, but it’s so quaint, and it’s a great quality of life for sure.
Okay, nice. And are you filling the space with Bath & Body Works candles? If so, what are your favorites?
TDW: I’ve always filled my house with Bath & Body Work candles and the plugins. I swear I’ve been buying Bath & Body Works since I got my first real paycheck in high school. The Winter Candy Apple, the fact that they’re making it a part of candle day this season? I’m stoked.
HW: When we moved in together in 2021, Tara used to come back to the house with bags of Bath & Body Works candles and it was just always like every few months she would go and restock. But I mean, when you’re there, and you walk past, and you smell it, it’s so fun in there. All the employees are so welcoming. I get the appeal when I go in there.
So you’ve always been all about candle day?
TDW: My mom, she’s the one who got me into it. She’s the one who’s like, “You have to smell the Warm Vanilla Sugar!” Oh my gosh.
I love that. As I told you, everybody loves you guys since the Olympics. Have you been feeling that love?
TDW: Yes, we’ve been feeling the love, and the support has increased ever since the Olympics, and it’s insane. The one thing that we like the most about all the viewership is that we get to show our sport. I think that our sport is lacking views and it’s lacking the TV time. So anything that we can do to promote our sport and have people watch it is the best.
HW: And it’s been really great. We’ve been making videos since 2017, so we’ve built this community of people who relate to us. It’s really special to have those folks who have been supporting us for so long be able to experience that win with us. And then, obviously, the win helped supercharge the building of our community and just having a place for people who maybe don’t feel like they have a place to fit in. I mean, we’re so different in so many ways that our community is just a place for anybody and everybody, and it’s been really, really special to feel all the love and support and excitement for not only our track and field careers but also just love and relationships.
I know you guys met back in the day in 2017 when you were 17, 18 years old. What’s been the key to your longevity and bond?
HW: I think mainly we’re both just really authentic with who we are, and I think we were so different, and growing up, we were very different in the environments that we were in. So we had to learn to be ourselves and find the people we vibe with who care about us or who we are. And then when we started making videos and stuff, we were dating long-distance. We were distancing for four years. That taught us a lot of lessons on how to be independent, how to communicate, how to work through difficult times, and how to appreciate how special the moments are when you get together. And I think going through that for four years made the transition of living together and being together all the time so much easier. We just have such a greater appreciation for that time together.
And what are you looking forward to as we get ready for 2025? You’re getting back into it for your training, so you’re not necessarily going to take it easy, but what are your hopes?
TDW: Yeah, I think I’m most looking forward to the new eyes on the sport. I am so excited to show them that it’s not just the Olympics that make us these big-time athletes. It’s the years in between that make us the Olympic athletes. That’s going to be really cool. And to show everyone what we’ve trained for and what we really do.
Why is that so crucial for you? Because I know Noah Lyles and a lot of athletes are saying the same thing. They need to put more attention on track and field and what you guys have to offer in the same way that they do for basketball and football and things like that. And I feel like back in the day, people didn’t really say things like that. They were just training, and they wanted to have their moment, and they were grateful for that. Why is it essential to get those eyes on the sport outside of just when you’re in Paris or when it’s time to go to LA?
HW: I think there’s a lot of factors that go into it. I mean, one of the big ones is that a lot of track and field athletes, like us included at the beginning of our careers, are working multiple jobs or finding multiple ways to earn income to pay for their rent and their meals because everyone is so focused just on the Olympics, but there is four-year cycle of this. So it’s like turning track into a sport that is sustainable for the athletes over a long period of time rather than just every four years is extremely important. And with just the growth in sports right now, especially women’s sports, there’s this huge push to see how incredible athletes are, see how incredible these women are doing these things and what Tara is saying, all the dedication and time and work that’s put in over the long run, not just during the Olympic year. So I think it’s just being able to show people what we do day in and day out throughout the years. And there’s just so much more that happens in track and field other than the Olympics.
TDW: And it’s just our sport is one of the most competed in sports in the entire world from high school, middle school to college. Everyone has participated in track and field. So it’s kind of one of those sports that everyone understands. Everyone runs, everyone walks. So it’s wild that we don’t get the viewership, we don’t get the leverage that the NFL and NBA gets. We are working just as hard. We are working maybe harder because our seasons are longer. So it’s up in the air, obviously, because everyone has their own opinion. But I truthfully believe that the sport just needs the eyes, and that’s where Hunter and I come in with the social media and putting ourselves out there. And that’s why I said I’m so thankful for all the eyes that we’ve gotten; we get to show our sport.