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Hannah Teter is changing the world. Between assisting children in Africa, posing for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and raising money for charity, Teter is a nonstop snowboarding rocket helping people in need around the world all while reducing her carbon footprint.

Teter is a two-time United States snowboard Olympic winner with success beyond her years. She took home gold during the 2006 games in Torino, Italy and silver during the 2010 games in Vancouver. Starting the sport at the young age of eight has brought Teter a slew of awards and she has used that success for humanitarian efforts.

Partnering with different organizations like World Vision, Teter works to provide assistance to those in need. She not only raises thousands of dollars to aid those who can’t help themselves, she does it with creativity, class and style.

Teter has raised awareness with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals protesting seal bashing by appearing in advertisements. She also started an underwear line called, “Sweet Cheeks.” The panty project urges people to “Do Your Civic Booty” and donates to people in need with each underwear purchase. Teter even gives most of her prize money from snowboarding contest victories to charity.

Amongst her dedication to humanitarian efforts, Teter supports Kirindon, Kenya by selling maple syrup called “Hannah’s Gold.” Teter grew up making the syrup with her family in Burlington, Vermont. The Teters now sell the product to provide clean water and plots of land for homeless AIDS victims in the Kenyan village. The family also supports the Kirindon people through selling organic cotton and hemp sweatbands.

Giving to the Kirindon people is definitely close to Teter’s heart. On Teter’s Web site, Hannahsgold.com, she talks about reaching out to those in need. “ I started Hannah’s Gold because I’ve always felt like there is a lot that needs to be done in the world and who better to do it than me?” she explains. Teter wants to use her fame to make a difference and even raised over $80,000 during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

Teter’s newest endeavor, aside from being a vegetarian and existing solar, is living in a yurt. A yurt is a portable, wooden hut-like structure covered in felt. Teter recently said in a Yahoo! Sports article that she has hopes of running on solar and wind power with the yurt so she can be completely off the grid.

If there is anything to learn from Teter’s career it is that reaching out to those in need is what defines real success. Following the trail Teter has blazed will help impact the world for the greater good. She’s empowering people by giving them the tools to create a new life and inspiring fans to get out there and make a difference in innovative ways.

Support Kirindon, Kenya and purchase a bottle of Hannah’s Gold by clicking here. Donate to her cause with World Vision, or even purchase panties with a purpose.

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Dominique Dawes may forever be identified as one of the “Magnificent Seven” from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but her impact on and off the mat extends far beyond that gold medal moment.

Dawes started in gymnastics at age six and was competing by age 10. She managed to score a place on the 1992 U.S. team bound for Barcelona, becoming the first African-American gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. Dawes ended up winning the bronze medal alongside her teammates. At the 1994 Nationals, she swept the board by winning the all-around title as well as securing gold medals in all four individual events. In addition to contributing to her team’s epic gold-medal victory, Dawes became the first African-American gymnast to win an individual medal at the Atlanta Games (a bronze for floor exercise). Dawes even managed to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

This three-time Olympian has kept busy since retiring from gymnastics. She’s worked as a multimedia correspondent for Yahoo! Sports during the Beijing Olympics and has covered both national as well as international gymnastics competitions for the likes of TNT, CBS Sports and Comcast Sports Net. Dawes also has made moves outside the broadcasting booth by appearing in the Broadway musical Grease as well as music videos for Prince and Missy Elliott.

Dawes is now making a name for herself as a motivational speaker. Sharing her personal and professional philosophy known as D-3 (Determination, Dedication, Desire). Dawes spreads her message of establishing self-esteem through positive body image coupled with a strong work ethic to youth and women’s groups. She also offers gymnastics clinics at facilities across the country, passing her love of the sport on to athletes of all ages. She earned her degree from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2002 and served as president for the Women’s Sports Foundation from 2005 to 2006. She’s even been a spokesperson for empowering crusades like the Girl Scouts of America’s Uniquely Me campaign.

With her accomplishments in the gym and her dedication to inspiring others, Dawes proves why she is affectionately known as “Awesome Dawesome.”

broadway, CBS, comcast sports, D-3, dominique dawes, girl scouts, gold medal, Grease, gymnast, gymnastics, magnificent seven, missy elliott, olympics, prince, sports, That Girl, TNT, university of maryland, Women's Sports Foundation, yahoo Hide

You don’t have to be a fan of modern dance to understand the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT). According to Judith Jamison, the Artistic Director, you just have to be human.

“The first thing you do when you’re born is what?” asks Jamison. “You open your mouth first and wave those little chords in the air to make sure people know you’re alive. And you’re breathing, those lungs are moving. Everything is moving. It’s within us to move.”

AAADT celebrated movement and connection with its 50th anniversary last year, where Jamison also announced she will be retiring in 2011. The world eagerly awaits her announcement of a predecessor. “I’m looking for someone with great intelligence and great nerve – someone who understands the tradition of the company, but makes choices as an individual. That’s what I did. I couldn’t imitate Alvin (Ailey). All I could do was follow the road map.”

That map laid out AAADT’s mission to bring African American culture to the world. Ailey always believed that dance came from the people, and should be delivered back to the people. She began dancing at the age of 10, training in classical ballet, though her passionate style and muscular figure contradicted the ballerina’s wiry ideal. In 1965, Jamison joined AAADT as a dancer and found international stardom with the company for the next fifteen years; she took over the company in 1989.

Among the most notable of Jamison’s roles is Cry (1971), a 15-minute tour-de-force solo. Dedicated to women everywhere, Cry brilliantly conveys every emotion, role, and contradiction associated with womanhood. In her autobiography Dancing Spirit, Jamison writes, “Exactly where the woman is going through the ballet’s three sections was never explained to me by Alvin. In my interpretation, she represented those women before her who came from the hardships of slavery, through the pain of losing loved ones, through overcoming extraordinary depressions and tribulations. Coming out of a world of pain and trouble, she has found her way – and triumphed.”

Under Jamison’s leadership, AAADT expanded dramatically with developments like the Women’s Choreography Initiative, performances at two Olympic Games, and a historic run in South Africa that ended the cultural boycott of the old apartheid government. Jamison also established a B.F.A. program with Fordham University. As an advocate for arts education, Jamison is committed to advancing programs that bring dance into the community and introduce children to the arts. She is a firm proponent of the power of dance to reach across cultural divides and connect the otherwise-separated.

“[AAADT is] here to celebrate the idea of what the human body can do and how far it can reach into your soul and make you feel differently about yourself. Make you feel good. Make you feel, period,” Jamison proclaims. “Alvin was always about our being recognized – as beautiful, important, distinct, absolutely talented, brilliant people. And, in doing that, it opened a world to who we are as human beings. Everything we do is about giving back to this world. And if we can do it through talent, through movement, through dance, then we are all the more blessed for it.”

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Even if you are not a tennis fan, you have probably heard of Venus and Serena Williams. The powerful duo is openly admired for their strength and ability. Rising star, Sarah Gronert however, is currently facing criticism instead of praise for winning matches.

Gronert is a 22-year old German pro ranked No. 555 in the world. She’s played in nine matches and won both the German Kaarst and the Raanana tournament. Despite her winning record, the up-and-coming player’s talents on the court are overshadowed by the fact she was born with both male and female genitaila.

After suffering constant harassment from peers, Gronert almost retired. She even had to take down her Wikipedia page because of tampering. Instead of giving up, the determined young woman chose to have the male genitaila removed at age 19. Now legally certified a woman, Gronert still had to petition the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to play against other women. If she refused to have her gender verified, the WTA would have immediately suspended Gronert.

Although her competitors may think she has an unfair advantage, the WTA has established the female phenom is eligible to play in the women’s bracket.

“Sarah Gronert is legally and biologically a woman,” an International Tennis Federation (ITF) spokeswoman said, “and as such perfectly entitled to compete in ITF Pro Circuit events and, at some point if her ranking warrants it, in WTA Tour events.”

Although the ITF has not received any formal complaints, that hasn’t prevented harsh public commentary. Gronert beat Julia Glushko on her journey to winning the Raanana tournament and the defeated player’s coach proceeded to complain.

“This is not a woman, it’s a man,” said Schlomo Tzoref. “She does not have the power of a woman and no woman has such a technique. She serves like a man. There is no girl who can hit serves like that, not even Venus Williams.”

The coach also commented on the WTA’s decision. “When I heard her story, I was in shock. I don’t know if it’s fair that she can compete or not. She does have an advantage, but if this is what the WTA have decided, they probably know best.”

The gender debate has been ongoing in the world of professional sports. Richard Raskind underwent a sex-change operation and became Renee Richards who was initially barred by tennis authorities from competing on the women’s tour. She sued and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling paved the way for her to appear in the 1977 US Open (she made it to the quarter-finals the following year). The Olympics also have addressed the issue by allowing transgender individuals that have undergone an operation to compete.

Gronert has now been legally and biologically recognized as a woman and yet critics still want to scrutinize her gender. The Williams sisters may occasionally suffer from ignorant comments about their buff physique, but no one challenges their overall femininity or right to play. Gronert deserves the same consideration. Just let the woman play ball.

gender, itf, julia glushko, olympics, renee richards, richard raskind, sarah gronert, schlomo tzoref, serena williams, supreme court, tennis, U.S. Open, venus williams, wta Hide

What does an ordinary girl who has tremendous talent do with it?  She inspires the world!  At least that’s Tasha Danvers-Smith’s intention.  Hailing from Great Britain, Tasha reached the ultimate professional milestone and her personal best by winning the bronze medal in the 400 meters hurdles at the Beijing Olympics this summer.  But medals alone don’t motivate her.  Tasha’s true passion and purpose is to inspire others to achieve their own personal success, and she’s thrilled that her talent has become the vehicle to motivate the masses.

Tasha has always been more than an athlete. From a young age, she wanted to be a social worker so that she could help those in need. It’s been said that she’s like a sister to everyone she meets, always offering encouragement and insight. This team player attitude and unyielding dedication helped her thrive in the runner’s world.

Tasha, a UK native, attended the University of Southern California, where she broke the USC school record in 2000 and became the PAC-10 and NCAA 400m Hurdles Champion, the highest possible achievement for a collegiate hurdles runner. In 2007, she was inducted into USC’s Track and Field Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Tasha competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and finished eighth in the 400m hurdles final. In 2003, she was placed 2nd on Great Britain’s All-Time List and was one of Britain’s best hopes to bring home the gold at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

But landing the big medal in Athens was postponed, as she took time off to give birth to her son Jaden. The media was cutthroat, chastising her decision, but Tasha’s can-do attitude ultimately quieted the critics.  Just seven months after giving birth, she placed 5th at Britain’s National Championship.  This was the only year in her professional career where she did not rank in the top 10 in the world.  The following year she really kicked it into high gear, placing first in Britain, and ranking 6th in the world.

Just months before the final qualifying race for the 2008 Olympics, Tasha was suffering from an Achilles tendon injury. “It got so bad, I couldn’t run 50 meters,” says Tasha.  She eventually left Los Angeles and went back to London to receive a new type of physical therapy that proved successful.  Shortly after, she suffered a slight tear to her hamstring that reduced her level of training yet again.  Despite her injury, she continued to train and ran at the trials, where she qualified for the Olympic Team.  It was her confirmation that with dedication, persistence, and confidence, anything is possible.

She is thrilled about bringing home the bronze medal and the arena that she has created for herself as a motivational speaker. “If one person is going to make their life successful [because of hearing my story], then I’m happy…It took me eight years [to win] for 53 seconds.”  But if you have passion and desire in your heart, and stay true to yourself, there is no way you can fail.” Tasha continues to serve as a motivational speaker around the world and will debut her book, Keep Your Pecker Up:  Unleashing Your Greatness in November.

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When Amy Rodriguez entered her collegiate soccer career at USC, the team had never made it past the second round of the season-ending NCAA National Championship tournament.  Now, entering her senior year, the Trojans are defending champs.  When Amy first appeared in a major tournament for the United States Women’s National Team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was with the lowest team expectations in history. Now, she and the rest of her teammates have gold medals.

“It’s just been the greatest year for me,” Rodriguez explains. “A national championship would have been fine but a gold medal just topped it all off.  For me, it’s been an unexpected and very eventful year but, at the same time, very awesome.”

Rodriguez, commonly called A-Rod by friends and fans alike, is a goal-scorer for whatever team she plays on.  She scored two goals in last season’s NCAA semi-finals to upset the rival UCLA squad and scored or assisted her teammates in scoring goals throughout the Olympic tournament.  Not a bad accomplishment for someone who was not even expected to start in Beijing.

“Going in, I was just happy to be there,” says Rodriguez.  But when injury after injury hit leading up to the tournament, culminating in a broken leg to the face of U.S. Women’s soccer, Abby Wambach, A-Rod was called upon. Looking back on the experience, she says, “I just wanted to make the biggest difference I could.”

With natural talent and heart-stopping quickness, A-Rod is a major threat to opposing defensive lines and definitely houses the potential of a difference-maker. Some have even called her a “clutch player.” Just when it doesn’t look possible, there’s Amy, somehow goal-side of her defender and with the ball at her feet.  Gifted as she is, her successes have not been attained without discipline and hard work.

“I really learned how much, how far hard work and dedication could get you,” she says.  “I just kept trying and kept working and improving.  I saw the difference and that’s why, when I got [to China], I actually got the call up to play.”

Part of this work ethic was inspired by Ali Khosroshahin, USC’s new coach who increased his team’s discipline in 2007. Amy and her teammates improved and became better-rounded, team-enhancing players.  After the success of the season, Amy took a semester off to train with the national team and prepare for the Olympics.

All work and no play?  Think again.  Known for being the team jokester, Amy has plenty of fun while she’s hard at work.  “She’s hilarious and loud—hilariously loud,” describes Darcy Couch, who works closely with the USC team in the school’s Department of Athletics.

Hard work and fun go hand in hand for this Olympian.  Returning to the Trojans for her final season she says, “I want to have a great senior year and be happy.”  She pauses for a moment and, with a smile on her face, continues, “And hopefully bring home another National Championship to USC.”

2008 olympics, a-rod, abby wambach, ali khosroshahin, amy rodriguez, beijing, china, darcy couch, gold medal, national team, ncaa, ncaa national championship, olympics, soccer, trojans, UCLA, USC, women's soccer Hide