It has been a marvellous fortnight for London. The Olympics were a triumph, and tickets for the Paralympics are quickly selling out.

The Games have sparked a national discussion about what they tell us about our identity, our aspirations, our capabilities and potential. As a diverse borough in the centre of London, these debates are highly relevant to Kensington.

I would like to focus on one aspect in particular, that of whether we should focus on widening participation in sport, as opposed to focusing on elite athletes.

The current debate about sport policy in the UK mirrors arguments about education more generally - whether we should focus our resources on raising the average, or on those who show exceptional promise.

But neither in sport nor education more generally is there a contradiction between widening participation and the pursuit of excellence: the more people are given proper opportunities to participate at the grassroots, more elite athletes will be given the chance to emerge.

In all walks of life, the trick is moving from potential to its realisation.

Many have highlighted the stark contrast between the terrible riots this time last year and the stunning achievements of our young, and in some instances, not so young athletes at London 2012.

The appalling images of rioters trashing and looting a restaurant in Notting Hill last year recently made the national news. But the Olympics remind us that although a lack of privilege is an important factor in a person's life chances, it does not have to determine them.

Athletes from very modest backgrounds have won gold for Great Britain because their talent was identified, their friends and family supported them, and money was invested in their potential.

Most importantly, they made a personal commitment to the pursuit of excellence. We all have something to learn from them.