Summer Sanders never quits. After winning four Olympic medals in swimming, she launched an on-screen career that included working as a commentator and special correspondent for the likes of NBC,The Today Show, and Good Morning America. Most recently, she starred in the third season of Celebrity Apprentice to raise money for Right to Play.

What is Right to Play?
Right to Play goes to war-torn countries to teach children in refugee camps, or just out of them, games and sports. It’s about teaching them conflict resolution, respect, inclusion, controlling their emotions, taking care of their bodies, and most of all, empowerment.

Why do you feel so strongly about Right to Play?
I firmly believe that I am the person I am today because of sport and play. I feel even stronger about the importance of sports as I watch my kids play soccer. It’s about the high fiving afterward, about showing up when you don’t feel like it because you committed to it—it’s about working as a team.

What do the Right to Play programs look like in action?
I went to Rwanda six months after the genocide had ended and there were 300,000 orphans and displaced children there. We organized a play day for an orphanage and there was this little girl who had lost both of her legs just above the knees. Her prosthetics were two wooden pegs. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her because she was so excited for this relay race. I watched her when she was handed the baton and she took off. She was jamming! It absolutely touched my heart.

What is your favorite part about working with Right to Play?
Seeing the kids’ spirits lifted because I showed up with a soccer ball—the smiles they had and the happiness in their eyes even though they had just gone through such torment.

What does "giving back" mean to you?
Giving back is an extremely important part of a good, balanced life. It helps you appreciate all the little things you have in your life.

Can you tell us three things that bring a smile to your face?
My children’s laughter and watching them sleep, a great run, and a house full of family and friends.