Serena Williams Joins Celebration as Tara Davis-Woodhall Takes the Lead at Athlos NYC’s Next Leap

The Athlos NYC movement just got even more electric. Not only is the star-studded track event adding Olympic long jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall to the mix, but it’s also getting a major boost from one of the biggest legends in sports: Serena Williams. Athlos NYC, brainchild of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, already made waves last September with over three million viewers, and with Tara bringing field events into the spotlight (finally!), the second edition on October 10 at Icahn Stadium is shaping up to be even bigger and bolder.

After announcing Tara’s addition, Athlos lit up X with a video and the caption, “It’s Track AND Field, and she’s the reason. Field is coming to ATHLOS 2025, and Tara Davis-Woodhall is leading the way.” The video showed Davis-Woodhall’s trademark grit and emotion, featuring her powerful voiceover.

“There was a time I almost quit this sport and left everything I worked for behind. But then I remembered that would be giving you the easy way out.” It didn’t take long for Serena Williams (wife of Alexis Ohanian) herself to jump into the conversation, dropping a fired-up “Let’s go!” in the comments. Coming from someone who redefined women’s sports, Serena’s stamp of approval gave the moment even more weight — and made it clear that Tara and Athlos are tapping into something bigger than just one competition.

@athlos Let's go! https://t.co/tJOwFFZcB6

— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) April 28, 2025

Tara Davis-Woodhall, meanwhile, is doing more than just competing — she’s helping reshape how field events are showcased. After feeling major FOMO watching the first Athlos — “All my friends were there. Meg Thee Stallion was performing. What? Of course I belonged there,” she said — Tara worked with organizers to create a legitimate, World Athletics-approved long jump competition. Between her charisma, gold-medal talent, and Athlos’ bold vision, track and field is finally getting the star treatment it deserves.

Motivation behind Serena Williams’ support for Tara Davis-Woodhall and Athlos NYC

Serena Williams has always been all about fighting for women’s sports—whether it’s pushing for pay equity or supporting women-led businesses. Through her venture firm, Serena Ventures, she’s invested in over 120 companies, and most of them are run by women and people of color. She’s also been super vocal about wanting to own a WNBA team, so it’s clear she’s committed to leveling the playing field for women in sports. She’s been through it herself, having faced pay disparities and the struggle for recognition, and that’s exactly why she’s so passionate about making sure other women don’t have to deal with the same obstacles.

Now, with her husband Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos NYC taking off, Serena’s all in on supporting the event and its mission to change the game for track and field athletes, especially the women. She’s seen firsthand how hard it is for athletes to make a living, especially in track and field, where women often get the short end of the stick. That’s why she’s backing up Athlos NYC’s groundbreaking approach, which includes $60,000 for first-place winners—double what they’d get in the Diamond League (Sports Illustrated).

Plus, 10% of all the event’s revenue is shared among the athletes, which is a huge step toward giving them the recognition and pay they’ve always deserved. Serena knows what it’s like to fight for what’s yours, and she’s all for supporting a future where women in sports get the respect and resources they’ve earned, which was nowhere in sight.

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