The Paralympics began as recreational and rehabilitation opportunities organized by British doctor, Ludwig Guttmann, for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries at the Stoke Mandeville hospital. The games were initially only for wheelchair users, but this movement expanded to include other athletes with different disabilities and was named the Stoke Mandeville Games with the first competition in 1948. The first Paralympic games were held in the summer of 1960 in Rome, Italy with athletes from 23 countries competing.
