Meet Beacon, Team USA gymnastics' 'goodest boy' who soothes Olympics' stress with belly rubs and a wagging tail!
There are many ¡®good¡¯ boys and girls at the Olympics but the goodest boy of them all has light brown fur, a wagging tail and can seriously tackle you down. And the best part? The opponents gladly surrender to the tackle.?
Meet Beacon, the therapy dog for Team USA¡¯s Gymnastics team. This 4-year-old golden retriever truly lives up to the title of "goodest" and even sports a badge to prove it!
During trials, Team USA¡¯s ¡°Goodest Boy¡± was always on duty, often working 15-hour days, according to ESPN.?
Beacon¡¯s job was to help his teammates relax, calm their nerves, and provide his belly for some much-needed belly rubs and gentle face licks.
As USA Gymnastics¡¯ first-ever therapy dog, Beacon ¡°senses people¡¯s stress and knows how to soothe them,¡± his owner, Tracey Callahan Molnar, told USA Today.?
The USA Gymnastics team has been candid about their mental health challenges. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from the gymnastics team final, stating, ¡°I have to do what¡¯s right for me and focus on my mental health.¡±
Beacon's handler, 65-year old is a former gymnast herself and so has a keen eye for spotting which team members could use a dose of puppy love.
¡°I watch the women and if they¡¯re animated when they see him, I¡¯ll walk toward them,¡± Molnar said, noting that she¡¯s aware that not everyone may find interacting with Beacon as comforting if they didn¡¯t grow up with dogs. "He picks up on the stress and will pull to that person immediately.¡±
Molnar explained that ¡°petting a dog, or even watching someone pet a dog, can lower blood pressure and anxiety, boost feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine, and reduce cortisol levels.¡±?
Unfortunately, despite efforts, Beacon couldn¡¯t make it to Paris due to logistical issues although he was an integral part during the trials.
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