Tahoe skier Travis Cabral could appear on 'The Apprentice'

When the torch is extinguished at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, today, one lucky athlete will have a chance to either be hired or fired by Donald Trump.

World Cup winner and Olympic skier Travis Cabral is one of 12 Olympic athletes vying for a chance to be selected to be on NBC's "The Apprentice" with Trump.

Voting concludes today after the closing ceremonies. Go to www.nbcolympics.com/apprentice/ to vote.

In a first, Trump and executive producer Mark Burnett are asking Olympic viewers to decide which of the 12 athletes should be on the hit show's sixth season.

Along with Cabral are 11 successful, fiercely competitive and talented U.S. Olympians, with their own reasons why they would be the perfect apprentice. But the viewers and voters ultimately will decide.

The winning Olympian will automatically earn a place on season six of "The Apprentice" to compete for the opportunity to become Trump's protégé.

A final-stretch e-mail campaign began Thursday by Karen Houser, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Lake Tahoe, encouraging community members to vote for Cabral.

Houser, who has watched Cabral ski since he was a youngster, said the 22-year-old South Lake Tahoe native would make the perfect apprentice, because of his competitive spirit that uniquely dovetails with his down-to-earth, community-minded nature.

"He's smart, a great role model for our kids, is a great community person and with his personality, kindness and charm, he could be the next Donald Trump," Houser said.

John Rice, general manager of Sierra-at-Tahoe, Cabral's home ski resort, said he's been voting every day since the contest began.

"I think Travis would make a great contestant. He's a bright, good-looking kid, an accomplished world champion and always on top of his game," Rice said.