Team USA Gymnastics Has A New Therapist And He Is A Good Boy

Team USA Gymnastics has a new employee. And he's stinkin' adorable.

Beacon, a 4-year-old Golden Retriever, is USAG's first therapy dog, and he was hired on a part-time basis to comfort Team USA gymnasts and staff during their grueling preparation for the Paris Olympics. He even got his very own credential for the Olympic Team Trials, which were held June 27-30 in Minneapolis.

"Science shows petting a dog or even watching someone pet a dog, can lower blood pressure and anxiety, help increase the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine, and lower cortisol levels," Beacon's handler, Tracey Callahan Molnar, told ESPN.

Team USA star Simone Biles famously withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, citing anxiety and other mental health issues. But Beacon was not hired specifically for Biles or any other athlete. Rather, he's there for companionship if anyone on the team needs him. His handler explained that therapy dogs, like Beacon, act as a sort of emotional sponge.

"They absorb the stress of the people they're relieving the stress off of," she said. "So even though he might be lying still for two hours, he's wiped out afterwards."

Callahan Molnar says she's mindful of the fact that not everyone is comfortable around dogs. So she keeps Beacon — nicknamed "The Goodest Boy" — on a 5-foot leash and only approaches athletes at their request. The former gymnast says her pup is drawn to two things: hearing his name and an innate sense of when someone needs comforting.

"He will turn on a dime without seeing who it is," Callahan Molnar said. "He picks up on the stress and will pull to that person immediately." 

But after a long weekend of snuggles and belly rubs, Beacon's job here is done — at least for now.

The Team USA men's gymnastics team was chosen at the end of their qualifying trials Saturday, with Fred Richard and Brody Malone leading the group. Meanwhile, the women's competition wrapped Sunday with Simone Biles and Suni Lee among those making the Team USA squad.

Now, USAG representatives are looking to find out if Beacon can make the trip to Paris, too.