There is a dot on blood on the end of Sir Steve Redgrave’s finger. He has just finished checking his blood sugar level with a portable device for diabetics – something he must do several times a day.

It is a reminder of what an amazing athlete this man is. Despite suffering from diabetes in the latter part of his career, he managed to win a gold medal at five consecutive Olympic Games. Since the early 1990s, he has also suffered from ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease.