The Origins of the Paralympic Games

Dr. Antonio Maglio an Italian colleague of Guttmann suggested hosting the 9th Stoke Mandeville Games in Rome marking the Paralympic start.

The 1948 International Wheelchair Games aimed to mirror the Olympics for athletes with disabilities later evolving into the Paralympics.

Dutch veterans participated in 1952 making it the first international event and a key step toward the Paralympics.

Starting with Seoul in 1988 the Paralympics and Olympics began sharing host cities strengthening their connection.

Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England under Dr. Guttmann’s direction was the birthplace of the Paralympic movement in 1948.

The 1948 event targeted WWII veterans with spinal injuries aiming to aid their rehabilitation through sport.

The 1960 Games in Rome marked the first official Paralympics with 400 athletes from 23 countries following the Olympics.

Archery was the initial sport in 1948 chosen for its accessibility to wheelchair users recovering from spinal injuries.

The Stoke Mandeville Games the precursor to the Paralympics were held on July 29 1948 coinciding with the London Olympics opening.

Dr. Ludwig Guttmann a German-Jewish neurologist held a 1948 event for WWII veterans at Stoke Mandeville Hospital sparking the Paralympic movement.