Matthew is a young African-American boy who dreams of becoming an Olympic runner like his hero, Jesse Owens. There's one big problem: Matthew has asthma, which makes it hard for him to run. When his journalist father is assigned to cover the 1936 Olympics in Germany, Matthew jumps at the chance tag along. He has never been out of Ohio before, let alone to Europe. Will Owens's amazing Olympic victories inspire Matthew in his own chosen career?