Paralympic History

Have you ever wondered if disabled people have any world-wide sporting events in which to compete? The Paralympics are Olympic Games specifically for people with disabilities.

The International Paralympic Games are the Olympics for elite athletes with physical disabilities that do not enable them to compete in the regular International Olympic Games. The Paralympic Games are held every four years just like the Olympic Games. They are usually held in the same city and country as the Olympics. Athletes that compete in the Paralympic Games are divided into categories according to their disabilities. The word "paralympic" comes from the Latin word "para" which means "with" and "lympic" refers to the Olympic Games. Sir Ludwig Guttmann's idea to hold these Games did not start out as the International Paralympic Games. Guttmann was an English neurosurgeon. He worked at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Ayslebury, England. He first organized the International Wheelchair Games to occur at the same time as the 1948 London Olympics.

Soon after, Guttmann attempted to connect the wheelchair competition with the International Olympic Games. He finally succeeded in making the first official Paralympics in 1960. However, there were previous Games in 1952 that were not official and held along side the Olympic Games. Twenty-three nations participated along with four-hundred athletes. For the first few Paralympic Games, mostly wheelchair athletes participated. As time went on, athletes with different disabilities started competing. The Paralympic Games are held every four years just like the Olympic Games. They are usually held in the same city or country as the Olympics.

The Summer Paralympic Games have been held in Rome, Italy in 1960, Tokyo, Japan in 1964; Tel Aviv, Israel in 1968; Heidelberg, Germany in 1972; Toronto, Canada in 1976; Arnhem, The Netherlands in 1980; New York, United States and Stoke Mandeville, England in 1984; Seoul, Korea in 1988; Barcelona, Spain in 1992; Atlanta, United States of America in 1996; and Sydney, Australia in 2000.

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