Our Speakers

Lara Dallman-Weiss is a 2x Olympian from Shoreview, Minnesota. A competitor on both land and sea, Lara’s athletic background started on the basketball court, the track, and as a dancer, and eventually led her to the world of competitive sailing when she attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. There she was team captain, finished 3rd at the 2010 Women’s Nationals, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.Lara’s professional sailing career has earned her 1st place titles at Key West Race Week in the C&C class and the Etchells Pacific Coast Championship as main trimmer. Those victories amassed to her 2020 Olympic debut in Tokyo where she represented the USA in the women’s two-person dinghy 470 event. In 2023, Lara won the US Open Series for the 470 mixed class, secured fifth place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Test event, and finished in first place at the 2024 US Olympic trials with her racing partner Stuart McNay. Most recently, Lara made history at the Paris 2024 Olympics, competing in the first-ever mixed gender dinghy sailing race on the world’s biggest stage.Outside of competition, Lara is passionate about advocating for the environment and promoting sailing to encourage participation in the sport. Her contributions to sailing and her role as a mentor continue to make a significant impact in the sailing community.  Lara spent 5 years living in Newport, Rhode Island and is a member of the New York Yacht Club. 

Elizabeth Beisel is a three-time Olympic swimmer, two-time Olympic medalist, and NBC broadcaster and correspondent for the Olympics. At just 15 years old, she qualified for her first Olympic Games in 2008, making her the youngest competitor on the U.S. Olympic Team. Four years later, at the 2012 Olympics, she won two individual medals—silver in the 400m Individual Medley and bronze in the 200m Backstroke. Over her career, she claimed 14 U.S. National Championship titles, a World Championship title, and nine additional international medals. In 2016, she was named captain of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team. Elizabeth attended the University of Florida, where she won two NCAA titles and 14 SEC titles. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications and was named the 2011 NCAA Division I Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the 2013 SEC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. On September 25, 2021, Elizabeth became the first—and still the only—woman in history to swim to Block Island, Rhode Island. Her 20km nonstop, unassisted swim, named "BlockCancer"; raised funds for cancer research and clinical trials through Swim Across America. She completed the swim in honor of her father, who passed away from pancreatic cancer on July 1, 2021. As of February 2025, Block Cancer has raised over $700,000 for cancer research. Elizabeth currently works with NBC as a media correspondent for the Olympic Games. She has covered the last three Olympics—Tokyo 2021, Beijing 2022, and Paris 2024—hosting her own show and podcast while also providing commentary and reporting on swimming.

Michael has been a nurse for the past four years, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Rhode Island College in the Fall of 2020 as well as being a student intern of Sigma Delta Epsilon, the local chapter of Sigma Theta Tau international. He later served as chair of the leadership succession committee for the chapter post-grad. His journey in nursing began as a medical oncology nurse at RIH where he learned the foundations of cancer care, obtaining his chemotherapy license and caring for patients undergoing cancer treatments.Later transferring to the realm of surgical/trauma critical care stepdown at RIH, he missed working with oncology patients and thus landed at his current location of NorthMain Radiation Oncology in Providence, RI on 825 North Main St, fulfilling his passion as an oncology nurse. Here he takes care of patients from the time of original consultation, during their scheduled radiation treatments and later in follow-up examination, caring for all the needs and offering advice, emotional support and serving as patient advocate in all aspects of their cancer journey.In his downtime, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, cooking and baking while trying new recipes, reading his favorite Marvel comics and buying Star Wars action figures. You can also find him screaming at the TV during Boston Bruins games and rooting for his beloved New York Jets (we all make mistakes sometimes).

Dove Furtado is a dedicated Registered Nurse at Brown University Health Cancer Institute, specializing in Radiation Oncology at Rhode Island Hospital. With expertise in education, skin care, hydration, symptom management, and patient navigation, she plays a vital role in guiding patients through their cancer treatment journey.

Her nursing career began as an LPN before earning her RN through CCRI, reflecting her deep commitment to lifelong learning and patient care. Beyond her professional life, she has been happily married for 31 years and is a proud mother to four incredible daughters—ages 28, 25, and 23-year-old twins.

A farm girl at heart, despite her husband's preference for a pet-free home, Dove embraces adventure through travel and music. Whether it's a country music festival or a K-pop concert with her daughters, she loves making memories through shared experiences.