Wheelchair-bound athletes have gone from pushing around heavy wooden chairs on wheels, to using state-of-the-art wheelchairs that are easily lifted with one hand. Dating back to World War II, wheelchair sports have been used as a motivational tool in hospitals that deal with spinal cord injuries. Today, highly competitive wheelchair-bound athletes finish marathons or score 3-point shots in basketball games. Whether born unable to walk, or stricken with illness and injury, wheelchair sports have allowed a large population to lead active lives.
Origins
Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German Jew, escaped Germany during World War II and fled to the open arms of England. Guttmann was a notable spinal authority in Germany. In 1944, Guttmann was asked by the British government to form a spinal injury unit at the Stoke Mendeville Hospital. Guttman introduced many sports to injured soldiers from 1944 through 1947. Many of today's wheelchair sports where first introduced at Stoke Mendeville, including darts, archery, basketball, water polo, table tennis and javelin.
Function
Guttmann was looking to get former soldiers back into their everyday lives, which included participating in physical activities. The patients Guttmann received most often where riddled with bedsores due to being left in a hospital bed. The risk of infection in the bedsores was great, and most often reduced the life expectancy of those with spinal cord injuries. Guttmann believed that these men and women where able to work and increase their feelings of self-worth if given the skills with which to perform tasks. Getting involved in wheelchair sports provided exercise, gave them an opportunity for social interaction with someone other than doctors and nurses, and made them quite independent.
Wheelchair Competitions
Guttmann and his staff organized the first wheelchair sports event on July 28, 1948. Ex-soldiers, 16 men and women, participated in an archery competition on Stoke Mendeville's grounds. The hospital went on to organize the Stoke Mendeville Games in 1952. These games are held annually at the hospital and have become an international event. Other countries began hosting their own wheelchair-based sporting events. In 1975, Canada started two wheelchair competitions: the Tri-disability Games in Alberta and the Ontario Games for the Physically Disabled are still played today.
Wheelchair Olympics
The highest honor a para-athlete can receive is to win the Paralympics, which were started in 1948. London hosted the first Paralympics. The Paralympics are hosted by the Olympic host country and city. Para-athletes participate in sporting events in Olympic venues, which are officiated by Olympic officials. The Paralympics have introduced new events for the games as the para-athletic community increased the range of sports in which athletes participate.
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