If you pay any attention to track and field (or to the Olympics in general, for that matter), chances are you've heard of Evan Jager before.

Best known for being the North American record holder in the 3000 meter Steeplechase, Jager was a three-time state champion runner for Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, Illinois.

But his passion for running began much earlier in life.

As it turns out, Evan's father, Joel Jager – one of the founding members of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL – contracted Polio as a very young boy and has never really been able to run as a result of the damage it caused to one of his legs.

About a week before Evan's steeplechase heat for the Rio 2016 Olympics, lifetime friend of Joel's and co-founder of Willow Creek, Bill Hybels, brought Joel and his wife on stage during weekend services to tell a little bit of their story.

He talked about Joel's background with Polio, how his resulting limp had impacted him throughout his life and how—even at a young age—his son, Evan, would emphatically declare to his father, "I want to run, Dad."

On the verge of tears, Hybels also made a point of highlighting the beauty in the fact that God would give Joel a runner for a son. And not just any runner, but an Olympic runner at that.

Evan Jager isn't just running for the United States of America. He isn't merely running for the gold or for the records – he's running for his dad.

It's hard not to see the beauty in a story like this one.

Needless to say, I'm going to be pulling for Evan when the time comes for him in the finals on Wednesday morning.

Unfortunately, NBC won't be showing Evan's race, and you would have to get pretty creative to be able to watch it. In case you're not terribly savvy with these things, here's an article that will clue you in to some options.

Even if you don't bother to figure out how to watch Evan race live, keep an eye out for the results of his race! It will be on Wednesday, August 17th at 9:50am CST.