But after a deadly earthquake struck Haiti two years ago, Laine felt compelled to reconnect with his family's nation of origin and commit himself to improving the lives of his fellow Haitians.

“After the earthquake happened, and at 26 years old, there’s not much my mother could do,” Laine said. “As a Haitian-American, the culture has always been near and dear to me.”

Laine hopes that his Olympic pursuits will help lead to better athletic facilities in Haiti, giving children there the same opportunities he had to improve at his craft and compete internationally.

Leaving Law School as a very successful student Laine has been presented with a number of job opportunities, almost all of which would be more lucrative than what he is currently doing—an important consideration, especially because he is still paying off student loans.

“I’ve had moments of wavering commitment, but they’ve been few and far between,” Laine said. “There have been opportunities that were hard to pass up, but those will be there in the future. Right now, I have an incredible opportunity to do what I love while being able to talk about Haiti and Haitian athletics. It’s all just to inspire.”

But Laine is not just going to London to serve as a mascot for a recovering Haiti. He fully intends to compete and figures to have a shot at landing on the podium.

“I’m prepared, I’m very prepared,” Laine said. “I’m just trying to approach it like business as usual.”

When he gets to London, he will have never faced tougher competition. But Laine will have a committed group of friends, family, and a nation looking for a hero in his corner.

“I know that he’s going to do great things, not only on the track, but especially for Haiti,” Hughes said.

—Jacob D. H. Feldman contributed to the reporting of this article.

—Staff writer Alexander Koenig can be reached at akoenig@college.harvard.edu.