New York, NY – This Monday, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn will accomplish a life goal of appearing on the final episode of NBC’s legendary television drama series “Law & Order,” capping a storied series run that spanned 20 years.nThe finale airs at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
“I don’t know what I’d do without it,” said Vonn, who started a “Save Law & Order” Facebook page upon hearing the news. “I have it Tivo’d and I watch it before going to bed or when I work out. On days off from racing World Cup, it’s pretty common for me to rip through two or three episodes at a time.”
Early in her career, the ski racer began a guerilla lobbying effort to become a character on the program, commonly telling reporters that she’d play a “stiff” just to be included in one episode.
Vonn was able to visit the set and meet with a number of cast members last year during a New York City media swing, then following her inspiring gold and bronze medal performances in Vancouver, show creator Dick Wolf took notice and invited the Vail, Colo. resident to film and episode in early spring.
“I was completely shaking, but I had a grin from ear-to-ear” said Vonn, who plays an administrative assistant at a teachers’ union and tries to help Detectives Cyrus Lupo (Jeremy Sisto) and Kevin Bernard (Anthony Anderson) find an anonymous blogger who threatens to blow up a school.
“I was supposed to be a serious character that is ratting out her boss, and I just couldn’t stop smiling. I think the producer was scratching his head a little bit,” she said. “All the other actors were able to joke around between takes and then as soon as they called, ‘Action,’ they were serious. I was still just smiling. I don’t know if I did a great job.”
With spring winding down and aspirations of appearing on “30 Rock” next on her personal plug list, Vonn is ready to get back to “work.”
“It’s been such a fun spring,” she said. “From commercial shoots, to charity galas and even presenting at the Academy of Country Music Awards, it’s all been amazing, but I’m ready to get back into the gym. Vacation is over and it’s time to go back to work.”
The six- to eight-hours-a-day, six-days-a-week training regimen starts Monday, coincidentally the same day as her “Law & Order” debut. Summer plans include training in Vail, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, and also in Austria with Red Bull before moving to on-snow training with the U.S. Ski Team in New Zealand and Chile.
“It would be cool to move into a bit more acting,” said Vonn, “but for now, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else but skiing.”
The three-time Audi FIS Alpine World Cup title holder will begins her quest for a fourth straight downhill title, third consecutive super G title and look to defend both the super combined and overall globes when the season opens October 23 in Soelden, Austria.
But first she’s spending time with her grandparents in Wisconsin, which included a trip to Chicago to toss the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday at Wrigley Field and lead fans in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch. Vonn also delivered an opening pitch at Wrigley last October prior to the Olympic season.