How 16 Injured Veterans Helped Launch the Paralympics
In 1948, a small archery competition at a British hospital planted the seeds of a global sporting movement that would change competitive sports forever.
Athletes World
• What began in 1948 as a competition for 16 injured war veterans grew into the Paralympic Games, transforming opportunities for athletes with disabilities around the world.
On July 29, 1948, the Olympic Games opened in London. About an hour away, at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, 16 wheelchair athletes were competing in an archery contest that would help change sports history.
The competitors were 14 men and two women, all former service members with spinal injuries. There were no packed stadiums or television audiences. Just a small competition that would eventually grow into the Paralympic Games. (International Paralympic Committee)
The competitors were 14 men and two women, all former service members with spinal injuries. There were no packed stadiums or television audiences. Just a small competition that would eventually grow into the Paralympic Games. (International Paralympic Committee)
