Tom Dolan mounted the starting block, ready to begin the most important race of his life- the race he had practiced for his whole swimming career. This was the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta- the finals of the 400-meter individual medley (IM). He was racing against the seven finest IM swimmers in the world.

He first realized that something strange was afoot when his daughter Emily was born on the 12th day of the 12th month at 12 minutes past 12 (December 12th at 12:12 P.M.). Such a coincidence could not go unnoticed, even by the most oblivious members of the human species.