The show premieres with two special 90-minute episodes on January 7 and 14 at 9:30 p.m. EST on NBC. This season of "The Apprentice" is dubbed the fiercest competition in the program’s history and Ruggiero can be seen regularly starting January 21 when the show returns to its regular timeslot at 9 p.m. EST.

Ruggiero is one of 17 candidates who will vie for the opportunity to win the coveted title of "The Apprentice" and to work alongside legendary business tycoon, Donald Trump. This past summer, this Olympic champion traveled to Los Angeles to film the show, which features a cast ranging from 24-37 years in age. A world-class athlete and Ivy League college graduate, Ruggiero quickly learned that one doesn’t have to be an athlete to be a top-notch competitor.

"There were a lot of smart people and a lot of Type A personalities in this show and going at it every day," said Ruggiero. "However, I have to say that being an athlete, I was definitely prepared for the challenge. The self confidence, discipline and hard work ethic that I’ve acquired over the years definitely transfers into the business world. As I look back at a USOC post-athletic career summit I attended in May, I can’t help but think that any employer should hire an Olympic athlete. We have skills and discipline that are valuable to the business world."

Ruggiero also added, "As for nerves and the pressure of being on national TV, I think I had an advantage. For me, it was like competing in a game. I’ve performed before millions of people around the world. The difference with this experience was there was a camera following me around every day."

In February, Mark Burnett, creator and executive producer of the show, opened the casting for "The Apprentice" to viewers to choose one of 12 U.S. Olympic athletes competing in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Ruggiero was voted as the winner over fellow 2006 U.S. Olympic Teammates such as 2006 Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Seth Wescott (snowboardcross/Carrabassett Valley, Maine); 2006 Olympic gold, silver and bronze medalist Chad Hedrick (long track speedskating/Spring, Texas); 2002 Olympic silver medalist Joe Pack (freestyle skiing/aerials, Park City, Utah); and two-time Olympic silver medalist (2002, 2006) Danny Kass (snowboard/halfpipe/Greenwich, Conn.).

During this season of "The Apprentice," producers changed the location of the show from New York City and Trump Towers to sunny California. Each week contestants will have to earn the right to live like a Trump through a series of team business challenges and tasks. Contestants on the winning team will reside in a luxurious mansion while those on the losing team will have to sleep outside in tents in the backyard of the mansion, complete with outdoor showers and port-a-potties. When asked how hard could it be to live outside in a tent in California, Ruggiero laughs and says, "Well, you’ll just have to watch." 

In another engaging twist to the show, the winning project manager each week will be invited to stay in the boardroom and advise Trump on whom to fire from the opposing team. Trump’s kids, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., will also appear in several episodes, along with previous "Apprentice" winners as boardroom advisors.

On working with Trump, the man that famously exclaims the words "You’re fired," during the closing episode of each show, Ruggiero pauses and replies, "He didn't get to where he is today by being a pushover. He’s very quick to tell you what you did wrong and what you need to do to improve, but also quick to pay a compliment."

Ruggiero's competitors include an internet entrepreneur, a construction firm owner and five attorneys one of whom is a vice president of business and legal affairs for a movie studio.

A star player on the three U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Teams, Ruggiero grew up in Los Angeles, playing hockey in Pasadena, and Harper Woods, Mich. She graduated cum laude with a degree in government from Harvard University, where she was an NCAA First Team Academic All-American as well as one of the top eight student athletes in the NCAA in 2004. Ruggiero is a three-time Olympic medalist, winning gold in 1998, silver in 2002 and bronze in 2006. She was the first woman non-goalie to play professional men’s hockey in North America, playing for the Tulsa Oilers alongside her brother, Bill, and also earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the first brother-sister duo to play pro hockey together.

In addition to her extraordinary athletic accomplishments, Ruggiero is the founder and president of a girl's hockey school; the author of "Breaking the Ice," her inspirational autobiography; and the director of the New York Islanders' Project Hope - an organization that provides young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities.

She is currently balancing training for the 2007 World Championships while working full time for Project Hope.