When Utah Paralympian Hunter Woodhall was born in 1999 with a genetic defect in his legs, doctors told his parents he’d never walk.
They were wrong. Woodhall, who received a double amputation, doesn’t just walk, he runs — fast. So fast that he recently appeared on “The Ellen Show.”
Woodhall — who grew up in Syracuse, Utah, and even competed for Team USA in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, winning a silver and bronze medal — was ranked 20th in the country for the 400-meter run and was the first double amputee to receive an NCAA scholarship, MileSplit reports.
Now, 20 years old and competing for the University of Arkansas, Woodhall has started posting videos on the app TikTok. When people started commenting on his posts asking what happened to his legs, he posted a video about his life and athletic journey, which has amassed over 1.5 million likes and 5 million views.
One person in particular enjoyed his inspiring story — DeGeneres, who invited him to appear on her show. The show aired Monday, and the clip is online.
The two talk about his athletic journey, discussing the power of embracing differences and even filming a TikTok together.
But it’s not the Ellen Show without one of her famous surprises. In order to help Woodhall participate in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, DeGeneres gave him a check for $20,000.
Going on the show in the first place was a dream come true for Woodhall, he said in a tweet, which was accompanied by photo of him and his mother in front of The Ellen DeGeneres Show studio.