Haiti has never sent a male gymnast to the Olympics in the 124 years since it began competing in the games. But Pierre Yevenel Stephan plans to change that. “Being the first Haitian gymnast, this is still Haiti’s first participation in the Olympic Games in this discipline, and it would be an honor for me to take part and go down in the history of my sport and my country,” Stephan said. Stephan’s Olympic journey symbolizes a new chapter for Haiti in the sport and for Haiti in general as its capital, Port-au-Prince, is embroiled in rampant gang violence and political upheaval. The history of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, at the Summer Olympics is sparse, with only two medals to its name: a silver in team shooting at Paris 1924 and a bronze in the long jump at Amsterdam 1928. So, Stephan hopes his participation adds a new dimension to Haiti’s Olympic legacy. Read more at the link in bio. 📷️ tarekmawad for NBCNews