In the United Kingdom, 2012 was a year of excitement and joy. It was our Olympic Year. Few could have foreseen the cohesion and happiness which the event brought to our society as we cheered our athletes (and those of other nations) in their endeavours. But there were other impacts beyond simply an escalation in our admiration for elite sports people. We learned of sports science and came to respect the scientists who delivered it to such effect. We saw that disability need not be the same thing as handicap. We noted how technology had its role in changing function whether through better bike design, or construction of running blades for those lacking a lower limb. The value of exercise to the health of us all was iterated. And we understood that we could learn much from the elite, and apply it to mere mortals or the frail and elderly. In Celebration of the Olympics touches on all of these elements, capturing the essence of a one-day meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine, held in honour of the 2012 Olympic Games. The contents deal not just with how elite athletes are born and shaped, but how exercise rehabilitation can be applied to those with strokes or lung disease. We also learned how even a disease such as diabetes is not a barrier to a gold medal and how a patient and doctor can partner to create new ways of managing the condition, to the good of all.

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