Alex Archer returns from the Olympics in triumph, only to face new obstacles. Should she accept the offer of an American swimming scholarship? Should she continue swimming? Will she even get into university? But in particular, will she ever meet the mysterious Tom again? Rome seems a long way away as Alex begins to confront the realities of adulthood.

Winter is over and Alex Archer is in Rome - the only swimmer in the New Zealand Olympic team. She will have to stand on the starting blocks in front of twenty thousand people for the race she has dreamed of for years. But Rome is full of distractions - the games, the city itself, and a mysterious young man, who seems to be one step ahead of Alex. As the Olympic gun fires, Alex knows she must aim for the unbelievable.