Ashutosh Sahoo
After World War II, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann began using sport for the rehabilitation of injured war veterans at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain in 1944.
On July 29, 1948, coinciding with the London Olympics, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes in archery, involving 16 servicemen and women.
The games evolved into the Paralympic Games, with the inaugural event held in Rome in 1960, featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries.
The word "Paralympic" comes from the Greek "para" (beside), signifying the games run parallel to the Olympics.
The first Winter Paralympic Games were held in Sweden in 1976, introducing new opportunities for athletes with disabilities to compete on snow and ice.
Since the 1988 Seoul Summer Games, the Paralympics have been held in the same cities and venues as the Olympics, strengthening their shared status.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was founded in Dusseldorf, Germany, on September 22, 1989, to govern the movement globally.
Summer Paralympic athletes compete across six major impairment groups, including intellectual disability, which ensures fair and inclusive classification.
Host cities use the Games as a catalyst for social change, like China's $150 million investment in accessible infrastructure before Beijing 2008.
The 1960 games had 400 athletes from 23 countries; by the 2012 London Games, this grew to over 4,200 athletes from 164 countries.
Advances in equipment, like carbon fiber prosthetics and specialized wheelchairs, allow athletes to push the boundaries of human performance.
The Paralympics continue to challenge perceptions, inspire audiences, and drive conversations about equity and accessibility worldwide.