EP 75: "Inch By Inch" featuring Track and Field Olympian Samyr Laine, Esq.

As a track and field athlete representing Haiti in international competitions for nearly a decade, Samyr Laine was not only among the very best athletes that Haiti has ever seen, he was very easily among the best in the world in his discipline: the triple jump. He is Haiti's national record holder with a jump of 17.39 meters (just over 57 feet), won multiple medals for Haiti at various international competitions (one bronze and one gold at the Central American and Caribbean Games as well as a silver at the Pan American Sports Festival to name a few) and represented Haiti at 3 Pan American Games, 7 World Indoor or Outdoor Championships and 1 Olympic Games. Many times, Samyr was the lone Haitian athlete to qualify for those global championships but he didn't merely attend, he qualified for the finals at the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2013 World Championships, finishing 11th at both global competitions. On several occasions he finished in the top 10 on the world ranking list of top triple jump distances in a particular year, and year in and year out he was a staple on the IAAF Diamond League circuit, which is the top competitive circuit in the sport. Before representing Haiti, Samyr was an NCAA All-American in college, and held the Ivy League conference record for a time; he still holds the Harvard University school record in the triple jump to this day. Aside from his athletic accomplishments, Samyr earned degrees from the aforementioned Harvard University, as well as a master’s degree from The University of Texas and a law degree from Georgetown University; the latter of which he earned while traveling the world, competing as a professional athlete and representing Haiti. He is a member of the New York State Bar and is currently the Senior Vice President of Operations and Strategy at Westbrook Inc. where he heads up the company's Good Goods division and oversees all consumer brand incubation, and licensing. Prior to joining Westbrook Inc., Samyr was the Senior Director of Operations for Roc Nation. There, he spearheaded the operations for key growth initiatives for Roc and some of its affiliated companies, launched their new literary division as a partnership with Penguin Random House ,and managed several notable multi-platinum recording artists. Before Roc Nation, Samyr was the Director of Player Relations and Competition for Major League Soccer. He is a published author and also spent several years as an adjunct professor at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. More important than anything mentioned already is Samyr's work as a member of the board of directors of l’Ecole de Choix (a school in Mirebalais, Haiti), and formerly as an advisory board member of the Business of Sports School (a Career and Technical Education school in Manhattan). Beyond that, he works with a number of organizations in and related to Haiti and hopes to have a lasting impact on the lives of children there, particularly through sport and education; although he frequently works with high schools and mentors student-athletes here in the U.S. as well. Follow his story on IG @iamsamyrlaine.