Isn’t it remarkable that many athletes competing on the world’s biggest sporting stage are not only sports professionals but also work in other demanding careers? One such example is Tabitha Peterson, captain of the U.S. Women’s Curling Team. She balances elite international competition, including the Olympic Games, with a career in pharmacy.
Widely known as an accomplished American curler from Minnesota, Peterson also works as a licensed pharmacist. She works as a pharmacist whenever she is not competing around the world.
At different points in her career, she has worked at Hennepin Healthcare and as a retail pharmacist at CVS Pharmacy. She carefully manages her schedule around training sessions, tournaments, and professional responsibilities.
Peterson has highlighted striking similarities between her two professions in previous interviews. Both pharmacy and curling, she has explained, require intense concentration, attention to detail, and strategic thinking. Decision-making under pressure is critical in both of her careers.
Beyond her roles as an elite athlete and healthcare professional, Peterson is also a mother to a young daughter. In interviews, she has acknowledged that balancing motherhood with Olympic preparation requires careful planning, flexibility, and a strong support system.
Born on March 6, 1989, she grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota. She began curling at the age of 10 alongside her younger sister, Tara Peterson. Their parents, a dentist and a dental hygienist introduced the family to the sport after joining a local curling league.
The sisters went on to win back-to-back junior national championships and secured a bronze medal at the 2010 World Junior Championships. These early successes laid the foundation for Peterson’s rise as a central figure in American curling.
Peterson later helped the United States earn its first-ever medal in mixed doubles curling at the 2016 World Championships, marking a major milestone for the sport at the international level.
She made her Olympic debut at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games as the third for the U.S. women’s curling team, which finished eighth overall. After transitioning into the skip role, Peterson emerged as a leader on and off the ice.
As skip, Peterson led Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2021 World Women’s Curling Championship, the first women’s world championship medal for the United States in 15 years. She later competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where the team finished sixth.
Since assuming the skip role, Peterson has won multiple U.S. national championships between 2020 and 2025. Notably, she secured her fifth national title in 2025, just three months after the birth of her first child, Noelle.
Peterson studied at the University of Minnesota, where she earned her Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.). Her academic training has allowed her to maintain an active role in healthcare alongside her athletic career.
In athlete questionnaires shared by NBC Olympics, Peterson has noted that remaining engaged in both pharmacy work and elite sport helps her stay motivated and productive, even during periods of intense workload.
Tabitha Peterson is now preparing to compete in her third Olympic Games in Italy alongside her sister Tara. Tara will compete in her 2nd Olympic games.
(Rh/VK)
