After bustling offseason, Olympic gold medalist Vonn ready to begin defending World Cup title

Vonn ready to begin training for ski season

Lindsey Vonn is still going full speed.

The Olympic gold medalist has been all over the place since the end of ski season, walking the red carpet at the Academy of Country Music Awards, shooting commercials for her sponsors, attending fundraisers, appearing on Maxim’s “Hot 100″ list, taking part in a White House correspondents dinner and filming scenes for her favorite show, “Law & Order.”

That’s simply Vonn’s version of relaxing after a season in which she won her third straight World Cup overall crown, along with two Olympic medals in Vancouver.

Now, it’s time for Vonn to get back to work. Renowned for her vigorous workouts, Vonn plans to begin training on May 24, the same day her episode of “Law & Order” airs on NBC.

In late June, she’s off to Austria for drills and exercises with her Red Bull team, spending about three weeks there.

Sure, it’s early. But that’s what it takes to get back to the top.

Vonn made sure to have some fun this spring, even dabbling in acting, something she thoroughly enjoyed. It helped that her debut was with “Law & Order,” the crime drama she typically watches before bed and while working out.

Vonn plays an administrative assistant with a vital clue in a case involving a terrorist, NBC said. And for once, she was the one star-struck, meeting series stars such as Jeremy Sisto and Anthony Anderson.

“I have to say it was a lot more nerve-racking to be on set with my favorite characters, on my favorite TV show, than being in the start of the World Cup or an Olympic race,” Vonn said in a conference call Thursday. “I was completely shaking. But I had a grin from ear to ear. … I was supposed to be a serious character that’s ratting out her boss, but I just couldn’t stop smiling. I don’t know if I did a great job, but I was very happy to be on the show.”

After filming, Vonn brought out her Vancouver Olympic medals — gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G — to show off. She even let the cast and crew wear the medals, which she carries with her most of the time.

“I’m standing there with my favorite characters, hanging out with my Olympic medals,” Vonn said. “It was a surreal moment.”

The acting bug may have bitten her as Vonn is now open for more roles. She was asked to be on “Dancing With The Stars,” but couldn’t make it work with her World Cup schedule. She wouldn’t mind if “Saturday Night Live” came calling, asking her to be a guest star.

“I don’t know if I’m funny enough to be on it,” Vonn said, laughing.

How about a reality TV show, one in which the cameras document her every move as she goes for her fourth straight World Cup overall title?

“Don’t know if it would be great reality TV show,” she said. “But it would definitely be a lot of interesting things going on.”

Interesting pretty much sums up Vonn’s offseason. She’s been everywhere, blogging and posting pictures on her Facebook page of all the fascinating events she’s attended, like dinner at the White House and music awards, where she posed for a photo with LL Cool J.

This is just her way of showing another side of herself, the one away from skiing.

“It’s nice to show everyone me,” Vonn said. “Just me in my every day clothes, me in high heels, or just me not in my ski gear. It’s hard to branch out and show people who I am outside of skiing.”

That’s why she was flattered when Maxim put her on the “Hot 100″ list, one of the few athletes to earn the honor.

“I think it’s good for young women and kids, just to know you don’t have to be skinny,” Vonn said. “I personally would like to see more athletes in magazines, prove to people that you can be muscular and strong and healthy and still be attractive.”

As for leaving skiing for the stage, Vonn said that’s a long way away. She still enjoys skiing too much.

“Right now, I’m really focused on my skiing career,” Vonn said. “But I had such a great time on ‘Law & Order’ that if any opportunity like this arrives in the future, I’d definitely be very interested.”