A national champion – that’s what Jason wanted to be. From the time he was 11 years old and won his first state cross-country title, Jason’s training was rigorous but rewarding. By the age of 14, he was billed as the fastest freshman in the state.

One day he and his teammates were enroot to a meet when a car went out of control in front of them, and hit their van head-on. When Jason awoke, it was to the sounds of screaming sirens and shouting policemen. As he was carefully extracted from the wrecked van, he heard a paramedic say with a tone of pity, “I think this one has a broken back.”

Well, it turned out that Jason’s back wasn’t broken, but it was severely strained. And that coupled with other serious injuries kept him from walking for a time and running normally for several months, thus disrupting his training schedule.

During those frustrating months, Jason’s ten-year-old brother Tyler began to excel at running. Now at first, Jason was angry and resentful that Ty could do what he couldn’t. Then, one day his feelings changed. Standing in a crowd, he watched Ty win the state championship, and all of those bitter feelings melted away. A feeling of pride and brotherhood came over him, and he vowed then and there that he would use every tool at his disposal to help his younger brother make it all the way to the national championship.

Tyler subsequently won the Northwest Regional Championships and qualified for the national cross-country meet.

The day of the race: 265 other runners; Tyler is tense and apprehensive. “Be tough Ty,” Jason said. “Just remember, no one’s better than you. No one can take ‘The Kid.’”

Then with a last hug, Jason walked away and left Ty at the starting line, noticing as he did so the tears coursing down his brother’s cheeks.

As the gun went off and the race progressed, Tyler ran flawlessly. Jason ran from point to point on the course so that each time Tyler passed, Jason was there in view shouting encouragement. On the final stretch of the race as the runners broke out of the trees, Ty was in second place.

“Stay on his shoulder, Ty!” Jason yelled.

Now it was the last hundred meters of the race. This was the part of the race that they had trained for over and over again.

“Pull, Tyler! Give it all you’ve got! Come on!”

Jason’s voice choked off as Ty crossed the finish line – the national champion.

Surrounded by the jubilant crowd, Tyler sought out his brother. “Jason,” he gasped, “I felt terrible – but I could hear you cheering the whole way. I knew I could win. I knew I – had to win.”

May the Lord bless us.