Tara Peterson, DDS, took a break from treating patients in Minnesota to participate in the Winter Olympics in Beijing as a member of the U.S. National Curling Team.
Dr. Peterson is an associate dentist at Isaacson Gentle Dentistry in White Bear Lake, Minn.
She comes from a family of healthcare practitioners and curlers. Her grandfather played the game before moving to the U.S. from Canada, while her sister Tabitha is also a member of the Olympic team and a pharmacist.
Dr. Peterson and her sister began competing in junior tournaments throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin before moving onto larger competitions, including the Olympics. As she got older, she developed an interest in healthcare like the rest of her family. She followed the footsteps of her father, a retired dentist, and earned her dental degree from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in Minneapolis in 2018.
The U.S. National Curling Team finished in sixth place, but Dr. Peterson is already training for the 2026 Olympics taking place in Italy.