Beacon is a therapy dog, providing support for the USA gymnastics team
5 august 2024 в 23:02
Therapy dog Bicon has become a hero behind the scenes and a source of comfort and support for the USA gymnastics team — a team that advocates for mental health.
The four-year-old golden retriever, who was unable to travel to the Olympics in Paris, was on hand to provide support from the moment of the final gymnastics qualifiers in the USA, along with his handler, Tracy Callahan Molnar — a resident of Pasadena and former artistic gymnastics coach.
In recent years, it has become clear that success no longer depends solely on a trained body, but also on a prepared mind. In this regard, animal therapy offers many benefits for calming the minds of competing athletes.
Molnar told USA Today that Bicon «feels the stress in people and knows how to calm them down».
«The best boy», - who has been providing comfort to athletes and coaches at various competitions and training camps since May 2023, was Molnar’s service animal before she obtained a therapy dog certificate for him through Pet Partners. The 65-year-old woman traveled all the way from Pasadena, California, during the peak of COVID-19, to pick up an 8-week-old puppy from Michigan.
Molnar, who has been involved with USA Gymnastics for over 40 years, has a good relationship with Caroline Hunt, vice president of the artistic gymnastics program at USA Gymnastics. Molnar said that Hunt, a former professional athlete, was considering introducing an animal therapy program in her department.
While many were excited about the program, others were skeptical. However, Molnar said that many of those who doubted the initiative appreciated it afterwards and asked if it would be repeated.
«They saw the benefit», - Molnar said. «They heard their daughters or their gymnasts talk about feeling better, how much calmer they felt before going out onto the competition floor, and they attributed it to spending time with therapy dogs before competitions».
Bicon is the first therapy dog for USAG, even receiving his own accreditations for qualifying competitions. USAG hired him part-time to comfort gymnasts and staff, and he works tirelessly, sometimes putting in 15-hour days to do his job.
Shiles Jones, a two-time world champion, injured her knee during warm-ups on the vault, while Kayla DiCello, a promising gymnast, withdrew after an Achilles injury. The emotional weight was evident as athletes, including Olympic medalist Suni Lee, struggled with tears. In the midst of this chaos, Bicon intervened.
«He instantly responds to stress and immediately runs to that person, even without seeing them. He feels the stress and immediately runs to that person», - Molnar told ESPN. Bicon’s role as a therapy dog extends far beyond comforting athletes, and he has become an integral part of the emotional support for the US team! Who wouldn’t love this fluffy bundle of joy?
The four-year-old golden retriever, who was unable to travel to the Olympics in Paris, was on hand to provide support from the moment of the final gymnastics qualifiers in the USA, along with his handler, Tracy Callahan Molnar — a resident of Pasadena and former artistic gymnastics coach.
In recent years, it has become clear that success no longer depends solely on a trained body, but also on a prepared mind. In this regard, animal therapy offers many benefits for calming the minds of competing athletes.
Molnar told USA Today that Bicon «feels the stress in people and knows how to calm them down».
«The best boy», - who has been providing comfort to athletes and coaches at various competitions and training camps since May 2023, was Molnar’s service animal before she obtained a therapy dog certificate for him through Pet Partners. The 65-year-old woman traveled all the way from Pasadena, California, during the peak of COVID-19, to pick up an 8-week-old puppy from Michigan.
Molnar, who has been involved with USA Gymnastics for over 40 years, has a good relationship with Caroline Hunt, vice president of the artistic gymnastics program at USA Gymnastics. Molnar said that Hunt, a former professional athlete, was considering introducing an animal therapy program in her department.
While many were excited about the program, others were skeptical. However, Molnar said that many of those who doubted the initiative appreciated it afterwards and asked if it would be repeated.
«They saw the benefit», - Molnar said. «They heard their daughters or their gymnasts talk about feeling better, how much calmer they felt before going out onto the competition floor, and they attributed it to spending time with therapy dogs before competitions».
Bicon is the first therapy dog for USAG, even receiving his own accreditations for qualifying competitions. USAG hired him part-time to comfort gymnasts and staff, and he works tirelessly, sometimes putting in 15-hour days to do his job.
Shiles Jones, a two-time world champion, injured her knee during warm-ups on the vault, while Kayla DiCello, a promising gymnast, withdrew after an Achilles injury. The emotional weight was evident as athletes, including Olympic medalist Suni Lee, struggled with tears. In the midst of this chaos, Bicon intervened.
«He instantly responds to stress and immediately runs to that person, even without seeing them. He feels the stress and immediately runs to that person», - Molnar told ESPN. Bicon’s role as a therapy dog extends far beyond comforting athletes, and he has become an integral part of the emotional support for the US team! Who wouldn’t love this fluffy bundle of joy?
© Artemenko Olga
