REAL HOUSE WOOFS
Olympian Vonn and her dog Lucy are leaders of The Pack in new series
The Pack
Amazon Prime Video
Three-time Olympic medallist Lindsey Vonn is used to being front and centre. But when she enlisted Lucy, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to help co-host Amazon's new reality competition The Pack, she had to cede the spotlight.
“I think she thinks she's the host and I'm just the co-star,” Vonn, 36, says of her rescue dog, adopted in 2017.
After stepping away from skiing in 2019, Vonn was looking to try her hand at something new.
“To be honest, I never really watch reality TV,” she says in a video call. “But … who doesn't want to watch dogs?”
Hatched by Amazon exec Chris Castallo, who oversaw CBS's Survivor, The Amazing Race, Big Brother and Undercover Boss, the globe-trotting competition pits 12 dogs and their owners against one another in a race to far-flung international locations as they complete challenges, with the winner pocketing $500,000 and designating an additional $250,000 to an animal charity.
“It's a little bit daunting to think about all of the safety precautions you need to make sure the dogs are safe and OK and not stressed,” she says. “But Amazon did an incredible job with dog safety.”
Throughout its 10 episodes, filmed pre-COVID, the teams ventured from Los Angeles to Mexico City to Costa Rica and Europe.
Vonn, engaged to New Jersey Devils defenceman P.K. Subban, says she and Lucy took part in most of the tasks, which include zip-lining, mock search-and-rescues, rappelling down waterfalls, digging for clues on beaches, fetching and more. “I think we (helped) a lot of dogs ... That, for me, is the most meaningful thing about the whole experience.”
Q I'm sure you had a lot of opportunities post skiing. What was it about The Pack that piqued your interest?
A Dogs are my love. But I was looking for a new chapter, a new career path. I wasn't sure what to do, but when Amazon approached me and said, “Do you want to host a show travelling around the world with your dog?” Those were the magical words. I jumped at the chance.
Q Why did you pick Lucy to co-host with you over your two other two dogs, Bear and Leo?
A Lucy is really adapted to travelling. I got her at three months old and we've been travelling the world together. She was at my World Cup races, the Olympics in South Korea. She already has two passports and loves travelling and loves being in front of the camera. Bear and Leo are big boys: They're about a 100 pounds each and they're very mischievous ... But I will say that I felt badly leaving the boys behind.
Q So does Lucy now think she's the top dog in your house?
A She's always thought that (laughs). She's always thought she's the queen ... she sleeps on the bed and the other two sleep on the floor. But I think I brought that on myself. The show has definitely made her head get a little bit big, so I'm definitely trying to keep her paws on the ground.
Q Why do dogs make life better?
A They always love you no matter what. You walk in the door and it doesn't matter if you've had the worst day or the best day, they love you and they're excited to see you. You can't help but feel happy when you're around them. I think even more so now, with the pandemic, we're indoors all day and it's really hard not to get depressed and feel isolated, but dogs really give you that companionship and love and affection and happiness. They're happy no matter what.
Q Like many people, you had a lot of plans go awry in 2020. What was your silver lining this year?
I think we (helped) a lot of dogs ... That, for me, is the most meaningful thing about the whole experience.
A I had the time and opportunity to really think about my life and myself and spend time with my fiancé. Obviously, the show was huge for me. It was the new challenge that I was looking for. But I realize that it is a very difficult time, so I tried to use that as an opportunity to make something positive out of myself and my life.