How Beacon the Therapy Dog Became an Olympic Sensation

Team USA is leading the medal tally at the Olympics, with over 70 medals. But it’s not just the athletes stealing the show with their talent and skills. Meet Beacon, Team USA’s therapy dog and Most Valuable Pup! The four-year-old golden retriever became an internet sensation last month after pictures and videos of him comforting athletes gathered in Minneapolis went viral.
Adopted at eight weeks by Tracey Callahan Molnar, a former gymnastics coach, Beacon was the second golden retriever in the Molnar family. His owner traveled from Pasadena, California, to Michigan during peak COVID to pick him up. She shares that she was at first apprehensive about making the trip because of how things were because of COVID-19, but ended up making the trip anyway because Becaon’s adorable face had already made a lasting impression on her heart.
How Beacon Became A Therapy Dog?

Beacon’s human, Tracey, has always been passionate about volunteerism. Tulsa, her first golden pup, was also a registered doggo therapist and had her provide emotional support to those in need for more than six years. After Tulsa crossed over the rainbow bridge, Tracey missed being able to provide support to those who needed it, and when she got Beacon, she hoped that he would be able to take on the role of his late brother and comfort people when they needed it the most.
As luck would have it, Beacon became a better version of his late brother. He instantly loved being a people person and was a natural at comforting people.
How Did Beacon End Up At The Olympics?

Tracey Molnar has been a long-standing partner with the USA gymnastics team for over 40 years and is a childhood friend of Caroline Hunt, the VP of the US rhythmic gymnastics program. After being inspired by a pet therapy program Hunt attended for a few years, she initiated the dog therapy program for athletes in February 2023.
The program was an instant success and won the hearts of people, but a few still opposed it. But that changed because Tracey reported that even the people apprehensive about the program supported it after seeing its benefits. It was clear that the athletes felt calmer before their events, thanks to the emotional support they received from Beacon.
What Beacon Loves To Eat & Do?

Although Beacon’s a saint of a pup who will eat anything he’s fed without complaint, frozen snacks made with watermelon, blueberries, and Greek yogurt are his favorite, and he often coerces his humans back to the kitchen if he isn’t fed those snacks post-meal. Regarding his favorite activity, Beacon is a faithful golden retriever who loves swimming. And when he isn’t swimming, Beacon sits in the fridge. Yes, the refrigerator; considering that he isn’t a fan of heat, it is no surprise that he didn’t let go of this cute habit even after growing up.
Lucky for Beacon, his caregiver doesn’t mind this cute quirk and lets him snuggle up in their fridge now and then; after all, therapy dogs need some therapeutic downtime of their own with all the hard work they do.