Woods’ Olympic medal is a fitting reward for an athlete who has displayed extraordinary resilience throughout her life, overcoming adversity and repeated setbacks in pursuit of medals in an unforgiving sport, where the biggest prizes are settled by the finest margins.
In Tokyo she was consoled by team-mates by the side of the course after a missed gate contributed to 56 penalty seconds.
But here, at a raucous canoe slalom venue in front of an energetic crowd, misfortune befell Funk to ensure Woods’ perfect run – celebrated with a beaming smile as she launched her paddle into the water – earned her bronze.
Before Tokyo, Woods revealed she had overcome years of childhood bullying, depression and self harm to reach her first Games.
Little over a month after those Games, Woods was involved in a car accident which left her in a wheelchair one week before the 2021 World Championships.
Not only did she compete in Slovakia, but Woods left with women’s K1 bronze – her first individual world medal.
It was last year that Woods truly established herself as gold-medal contender in Paris, winning her first global title in kayak cross, along with canoe single (C1) silver behind team-mate Mallory Franklin.
And so, this time, with the confidence provided by world gold and the experience of a first Games to call upon, Woods delivered the moment she had long dreamed of before celebrating an emotional success with family and friends under the Paris sun.
“That whole journey of where I’ve come from in the last 10 years, it’s been incredible and I’m really proud of who I am today, and be able to be open and speak about it and use my platform for good,” said Woods.
“It just makes everything worth it. I think the journey I’ve been on, that first moment of admitting that I do need help, I think that’s kind of where I go back to. It’s OK to do that. It’s OK to seek out help.”
