HANNAH TETER: A Passion for Her Sport -- and Her World

This video is also available on the KING5 Olympic Zone

By Brennan LaBrie

After winning the silver medal on February 18, snowboarder Hannah Teter (23) was presented with a check from Samsung for $30,000 for her charity, Hannah's Gold, which is connected with the international organization World Vision.

I got the chance to meet her on a sunny day in Yaletown, Vancouver, BC, where she told me more about the difference she wanted to make.

"I'm working with World Vision to sponsor a town in Kenya. Seventy thousand people! We are working to equip the whole village with clean water. It's kind of a big mission, but it's fun to do," said Teter, who won Olympic gold in 2006.

An undertaking like this is not a new idea for Teter, who has been involved in charity work since she was a child.

"I sponsored a child in a third-world country when I was younger," she said. "They would write letters and send pictures to show the difference we were making in their lives. So I knew from a young age that the influence we can have on third-world countries is huge."

Why did she choose World Vision out of all the great charities available?
"I approached World Vision because they sponsor whole villages, and I wanted to do something big. At the time,they were one of the biggest organizations making huge differences. They've been really easy to work with and have been making changes quickly."

Teter is involved in other charities as well.

"I really like helping out in all the ways I can, getting the information out there for people who might not know about things like Save the Seals here in Canada. I don't think many people know about that," she says of the extremely cruel conditions for baby seals. "And I think I'm in a good position to set a bar for knowledge and try to get it out there."

Teter says she's excited about what's going on in her life right now. From starting out in sports by trying to keep up with four older brothers, to finding her passion on the slopes, to using her visibility to help good causes, she is glad for the chance to be a role model.