With just minutes to go until the Official Opening Ceremony of 2012 London Olympics, here are some facts about how hypnosis has been used to help sports people/athletes prepare for some of their biggest challenges in their fields:

* In the 1956 Australian Olympics held in Melbourne, the Russian team used 11 hypnotherapists to gain mental clarity and help with visualisations.

* Mike Brearly, England cricket team captain, visited a hypnotherapist to increase his skills for his game prior to the country’s trip to Australia.

* In 2009, Twenty20 Cricket cup winners Pakistan had been hypnotised to ‘get back’ the cup and forget past defeats.

Here’s wishing the best to all our sportsmen/women and athletes for the 2012 London Olympics….keep victory in mind and remember, “what the mind can believe, the body can achieve!!!”