1960 - RomeThe Paralympics are inspired by Dr Ludwig Guttmann's
Stoke Mandeville Games Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German-born
neurologist, is considered to be one of the founding fathers of
organised physical activities for the disabled and is credited
as the man who founded the Paralympic Games. As director of the
National Spinal Injuries Centre at the Stoke Mandeville
Hospital, Guttmann was convinced that sport was an excellent
method of therapy for those with a physical disability as sport
helps to build physical strength and self-respect. Guttmann
decided to create a competitive sporting environment for those
with a physical disability to participate in and on July 29th
1948, he organised a sports competition for British World War II
veteran patients with spinal cord injuries. The start of these
Stoke Mandeville Games was organised to coincide with the
opening of the London 1948 Summer Olympics. The Games were held
again at the same location in 1952 and this time Dutch veterans
took part alongside the British