We’re really excited to be teaming up with Ovince St. Preux and Athletes Brand for an exclusive, limited time t-shirt that will help us continue to bring healthy and nutritious food to Haiti. Ovince is just as excited as we are about using sustainable agriculture to build farms with a variety of fruits and vegetables, and that they supplement the already tasty Haitian diet!
Who is Ovince St. Preaux? Well, if you follow the UFC, then you probably recognize him as the fighter that comes out wearing the Haitian flag at every match. Ovince is a first generation Haitian-American who was born in Miami, FL. In high school, his sport of choice was football. With hard work and determination, he joined the Volunteers at the University of Tennessee. After graduating in 2004 with a degree in sociology, he went on to become professional MMA fighter with an impressive 17-6 record.
Check out our interview below where we talk about everything from training to his favorite Haitian meals.
H107: What is your favorite thing about Haiti/Haitian culture?
OSP: The food and probably the main thing is that Haiti/Haitian culture has a lot of history (a lot of people don’t know that Haiti was the first black nation to break away from slavery).
H107: What do you think would benefit Haiti the most? (Agriculture, money aid, education, etc?)
OSP: To me, for any country, the number one benefit is education.
H107: We plant vegetable gardens in Haiti and teach local people ways they can eat more nutritiously than just rice and beans. What do you like most about the work Harvest107 is doing in Haiti?
OSP: That everything is fresh and there are more options to pick from.
H107: We work with orphans and street kids in Haiti. What advice would you give them?
OSP: Just never give up, always see yourself in a better situation and PRAY.
H107: How did you start competing in MMA?
OSP: [I] saw that a lot of my old teammates at UT was picking up weight after football and I wanted something to keep me active.
H107: You have a big fight coming up – how do you prepare mentally and physically for it?
OSP: Mentally I tell myself to stick to the basics and everything else will take care of itself. Physically, I just push my body to the breaking point, but also be smart about it too.
H107: As an athlete, nutrition is obviously very important to you. What is your favorite vegetable? What is your favorite Haitian meal?
OSP: I eat practically every green, but my favorite Haitian meal would have to be Griot and Pikliz.
H107: When Athletes Brand approached us about partnering with you on this T-shirt we were so excited! We love Haiti and want to do as much as possible to help young people here. What advice would you give us?
OSP: Pretty much just keep doing what you all are doing now, a good deed goes a long way.
