THE Rio Olympic Games are in full swing.

I expect that many of us have been watching our favourite sports and events. Cheering our athletes or team sports and watching the medal board is all part of the modern experience.

With the help of wide-screen televisions and interactive controls we can almost have a trackside seat while sitting in our front rooms.

We all like winners and going for gold is the aspiration of all athletes. That said, winning at any cost has never been part of the Olympic ideal. As the media has recently reported, drug scandals have somewhat blighted and undermined those ideals of fair play.

The village of Much Wenlock is near where I live. In 1850, the precursor to the modern Olympic movement began there under the guidance of Dr William Penny Brookes. Its principles included the promotion of the moral, physical and intellectual improvement of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of Wenlock.

In 1890, Baron Pierre de Coubertin attended the Olympian Games of the Wenlock Olympian Society and was inspired to found the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with the first modern Olympics being held in 1896.

Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example, social responsibility and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles.

Doing our best and helping others to do the same are great ideals.

It might not have been the Olympics but I have been told that there was plenty of Olympian spirit on display in 1993 at the World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart.

Linford Christie ran the 100 metres and achieved gold. On the podium up went the Union flag, the national anthem was played and he received his medal.

For many athletes that would be it. He had come and achieved the highest reward.

However Christie then, with medal, went around to Colin Jackson and poured all the encouragement he could into him.

Jackson then in turn ran the 110 metres hurdles and won gold. Again on the podium he received the medal to the Union flag and national anthem.

What happened next is that both Linford Christie and Colin Jackson with medals went around to Sally Gunnell.

This time both inspired and poured as much confidence and encouragement into her as they could. She went out and ran the 400 metres hurdles and again won gold.

Doing our best and helping others to do the same.

While enjoying the games and admiring the athletes, it is worth reflecting not only of the joy of sport but on what of the Olympian spirit we can take into our everyday lives.