History of Wheelchair Olympics


by Milos Pesic - Date: 2007-04-16 - Word Count: 425 Share This!

A lot of people have incessantly shown extraordinary strength and willpower in facing adverse situations. Among these exemplary individuals are the ones who have debilitating health conditions and are confined in wheelchairs, either temporarily or permanently. You might wonder about the colorful history of wheelchair Olympics where physically incapacitated people show astonishing amounts of feistiness, discipline and perseverance to participate in races despite their disabilities.

Although the Olympics have been around for many centuries, the history of wheelchair Olympics only started way back in the later part of 1940. It was Sir Ludwig Guttman who first came up with the idea of creating a separate competition where World War II veterans who have suffered spinal fractures can readily participate. The first sporting event took place in Stoke Mandeville, England in the year 1948 and has proven to be quite successful. After four annual competitions held, Netherlands showed keen interest and paved way for their disabled citizens to participate in the races, which later on led the way for other nations to join the competition as well.

In various recounts on the history of wheel chair Olympics, it was in 1976 where people with disabilities from all over the world have converged in Toronto, Canada to compete and carry their nation's pride on an international level. It was in the same year Sweden was heralded to be the very first official host of the Paralympic Winter Games. Albeit the quite humble beginnings of the history of wheelchair Olympics, there are now around 3,000 disabled delegates to eagerly participate in Paralympic Games every single year. There are actually a lot of sporting events included in the Paralympic Games such as racing, rugby, tennis, fencing, basketball and even dance sports. For the winter season, the athletes can take part in some games such as alpine skiing, ice hockey, and even Nordic skiing. Officials would normally classify every athlete according to his/her capabilities and the degree of disability so participants will have more or less an even chance in winning.

There are certainly a lot of people who have never lost the verve and zest for life despite their injuries that would normally hamper simple movements. In fact, these individuals have fully embraced their incapacity and did not just learn to live with it but turn it into a highly positive aspect. These are truly noteworthy people that displayed the true meaning of inner strength in the face of adversity and seemingly insurmountable challenges. The history of wheelchair Olympics is but just a mere glimpse of the man's true potential amidst difficulties.


Related Tags: wheelchair, wheel chair, electric wheelchair, chair wheel, electric wheel chair, wheel chair ramp

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