Kara Dooley is an American philanthropist and the wife of former NFL tight end and Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen. She is best known as the co-founder of The HEARTest Yard, a program that supports families of children born with heart defects. That cause is personal for her, because her son T.J. was born with a serious heart condition and had a heart transplant in 2021.
| Date of Birth | September 29, 1985 |
|---|---|
| Age | 41 years |
| Nationality | American |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Husband | Greg Olsen |
| Children | Tate Christian Olsen, Talbot Olsen, TJ Olsen |
| Father | John Dooley |
| Mother | Debora Dooley |
Carter Efe
DeVante SwingKara Dooley Biography
Kara Dooley was born on September 29, 1985, in the United States. She turned 41 in September 2026. Her parents are reported to be John Dooley and Debora Dooley, though she has kept her family life before marriage largely private.
She is American by nationality and of white ethnic background. Kara went to the University of Miami, and that is where she met Greg Olsen, who played college football there. Greg was born on March 11, 1985, which makes him 41 years old, so the couple are the same age.
Today she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with Greg and their three children. The family settled there during Greg’s nine seasons with the Carolina Panthers and stayed after he retired.
Career and Charity Work
Kara’s main work is charity, and she does it side by side with her husband. The couple run the Greg Olsen Foundation, also known as Receptions for Research. Greg started it in 2009 to fund cancer research after his mother, Sue Olsen, survived cancer.
In 2013, Kara and Greg launched The HEARTest Yard under that foundation. It works with Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte to help families of babies and kids with congenital heart disease. The help is practical, from in-home nursing visits to emotional support for parents.The work grew into The HEARTest Yard Congenital Heart Center at Levine Children’s, which opened in December 2020.
The foundation also hosts a yearly HEARTest Yard Gala in Charlotte. Speaking to WCNC before the fourth gala in February 2025, Greg said the last Monday of every February is “blacked out” on the calendars of everyone on their team. He also thanked the Carolina Panthers’ ownership for standing with the family from the start of “our first journey with T.J.”
Kara Dooley’s Marriage with Greg Olsen
Kara Dooley and Greg Olsen met as students at the University of Miami and got married in 2009. Greg was in the early years of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears at the time. He later spent 2011 to 2019 with the Carolina Panthers, made three Pro Bowls and finished his career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2020.
The couple have three children. Their first son, Tate Christian Olsen, was born in June 2011 and is 15 years old. Twins Talbot and Trent Jason, better known as T.J., were born on October 9, 2012, and are 14 years old.
T.J. was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a defect where the left side of the heart does not fully develop. He had three open-heart surgeries as a young child. In May 2021, Greg and Kara shared that his heart was wearing out and that he needed a transplant.
A donor match came quickly. According to Queen City News, Greg posted on June 4, 2021, that the family had learned of the match the night before. Their report described a photo of Greg and Kara holding T.J.’s hand as he got ready for surgery. The transplant was a success, and T.J. has been doing well since.
The family also faced loss in 2026. Greg’s older brother, Chris Olsen Jr., a former quarterback, died of cancer in February 2026.
Kara Dooley’s Net worth
Kara Dooley’s own net worth is estimated at around $1 million to $2 million. Most of her time goes into unpaid charity work, so her personal earnings are modest compared with her husband’s.
Her household is far wealthier. Greg Olsen earned tens of millions of dollars in NFL contracts over 14 seasons. Since 2021 he has worked as an NFL analyst for Fox Sports, a job that has reportedly paid him about $10 million a year, and he has won Sports Emmy Awards for it. Kara shares in that family wealth as his wife of more than 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Kara Dooley?
Kara Dooley was born on September 29, 1985. She is 41 years old.
How did Greg Olsen and Kara meet?
They met as students at the University of Miami, where Greg played football. They married in 2009.
How many kids do Greg and Kara Olsen have?
They have three children: Tate, born in 2011, and twins T.J. and Talbot, born on October 9, 2012.
What happened to Greg Olsen’s son T.J.?
T.J. was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. After three open-heart surgeries, he received a heart transplant on June 4, 2021.
What is The HEARTest Yard?
It is a program Kara and Greg started in 2013 to support families of children with congenital heart disease. It works with Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.
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