In 1904 Eyser became the first athlete with a disability to compete in the Olympic Games Over the years more and more athletes with a range of disabilities began to excel in a variety of sports It wouldn't be long before disabled athletes earned their own Olympic Games In 1948 the Stoke Mandeville Games for the Paralyzed became the first official set of events open only to disabled athletes It was special because it took place alongside the 1948 Olympic Games in the United Kingdom The event was named after the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England The hospital was the first to include a special center for people who had suffered spinal injuries FUL The spinal injuries center at Stoke Mandeville Hospital was founded by a man named Ludwig Guttmann He believed that competing in sports could be a good way for people with injuries to gain confidence That's why Guttman organized the first Stoke Mandeville Games
200 men and women in wheelchairs competed at the 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games
An athlete trains before the 1964 Stoke Mandeville Games held in Tokyo
The Stoke Mandeville Games involved 16 injured British war veterans 14 men and two women who took part in archery It was an important milestone for people with disabilities In 1952 a team from Netherlands participated in the Stoke Mandeville Games Because it now included athletes from more than one country the event was called the 1st International Stoke Mandeville Games More and more athletes from around the world joined the competition in the following years Engineers at Stoke Mandeville prepare equipment for athletes in 1964
