Vineeta Sawkar is breaking boundaries with her new gig at WCCO Radio

Dan Gladden is missing in action.

The former Twins star forgot about his scheduled call to WCCO Radio this spring morning, forcing the show's relatively new host to scramble.

No sweat. Vineeta Sawkar is more than ready to pinch hit.

During her time as a KSTP-TV anchor, the 54-year-old broadcaster had to ad-lib during major new stories, including the I-35W bridge collapse. Plus, she's one of Minnesota's most enthusiastic sports fans. For the next few minutes, she expertly dissects the team's current record and progress on her own, as if that was the plan all along.

Sawkar never expected to be back in the media lineup. After KSTP let her go in 2013, she joined the Star Tribune's digital team. That was followed by stints doing public relations for HealthPartners and the University of St. Thomas.

She was as surprised as anyone when WCCO asked her to return to the big leagues, tapping her to take over for the beloved Dave Lee as he retired. That makes her the first woman and person of color ever to steer the station's prestigious morning-drive slot.

As Sawkar explained in the green room after the show, she's making the most of the new gig — and being out of the house.

Not in the technical sense. But it was hard to snap out of the sadness. I was envious of people who were introverted. I could see how much they almost enjoyed being in their homes and not dealing with social situations.

As soon as I started talking. I was always the one who gathered the neighborhood kids for plays or was the game-show host. When I lived in India, I played Little Red Riding Hood in a play because I was the only one who could speak English well.

I was born in the United States, but we moved to India when I was 4. My parents were born and raised in India. They came to New York City with eight dollars to their names. That's where I was born. Then my dad, who was an oncologist, had a change of heart, so he went back to India and we lived in Bangalore. After a year, my dad changed his mind again and found a great setup in Kansas City. That's where I grew up. I think I was sort of pressuring them to come back. My parents say I was adamant about it.

I was a die-hard Royals fan. I liked the Chiefs. I've always admired people who have great athletic ability. I've told my husband that when I retire, we're going to see the Wild in every arena in the United States.

Wayne Gretzky. No one has dominated sports like he has. He's the one that got me into hockey back in the ́'80s when I was going to Boston University. He scored a lot of goals, but what I really liked about him was his assists record. He set people up for success.

I love the bar at The Lexington. It's classic. But our go-to place is Sakura in downtown St. Paul. We are there for anniversaries, birthdays, graduations. Every special occasion.

I'm a '70s and '80s person. It takes me back to a certain time in my life. I recently saw the Scorpions in Las Vegas. I was kind of a metalhead in college. Aerosmith, AC/DC, Ratt. I could tease my hair up pretty big.

I hope people see what a big step this is for WCCO Radio. It's been white men in this chair for 80 years. So it's exciting to be a part of that change. When I was on television, I always felt like kids of color looked up to me and thought, "If she can do it, so can I." When I got fired, I always felt like I had let them down.