Paralympics

Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games are the Olympics for elite athletes with physical disabilities that do not enable them to compete in the regular Olympic Games. The disabilities includes mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and those with cerebral palsy. (Wikipedia)

According to Getset website (an official site of the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games) the history of Paralympic Games started in 1944, when a doctor, Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who working with World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries, started to think about using sport to help them. He was convinced that making them more active would help re-motivate them after serious injury. "The purpose of the competition at that time was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during wartime." (International Paralympic Committee)
So, at the same time as the London Olympic Games in 1948, he organised the first wheelchair Games at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire. The competition was between sports clubs and other hospitals.

Continuously, the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy, in 1960.

Paralympics 2012 Logo

In 2012, the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games is on Wednesday, 29 August 2012.

The significance of these Paralympics being in London is the Paralympic Games are coming home, because the movement was born in UK at Stoke Mandeville, Buckimhaamshire.

"Staging the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is a unique and inspiring experience for UK. It is also an honour, one that the UK last enjoyed in 1948. More than 50 years on, UK will host the greatest sporting and cultural show on earth again."(IPC)

Getset website mentions in Paralympics 2012, more than 2,100 medals will be presented over 11 days of competition.
London 2012 has the largest number of athletes and participating nations of any Paralympic Games. There are 4,280 athletes represented 165 countries.

According to Australian Paralympic Committee, Australia sent 161 paralympians to Paralympics 2012. They will compete in 13 sports.

Whellchair rugby star, Greg Smith, was honored as the Australian flag bearer for London 2012 Paralympics Opening Ceremony.

With the Opening Ceremony taking place in London last Wednesday, lets we take a look at some of our magnificent Paralympians!

• The Australian Wheelchair basketball team, known as “the Roller” becomes one of the favourite team in Paralympics London.

• Kurt Fearnley is probably one of our most famous Paralympians, having represented Australia at 4 successive paralympics (including London). He is a Marathon Man of wheelchair sports.

As His website puts it, Kurt was a star performer from his first games:

“[Kurt] started his career with two Silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic games, before making his winning breakthrough at the Athens Paralympics with Gold in the 5000m and marathon races. Following the 2004 games, Kurt conquered the world, winning five world championships and more than 20 marathons around the globe, including 10 marathons in 2007 and three straight New York marathon titles. He solidified his standing as the Marathon Man of wheelchair sports by defending his Gold medal at the Beijing Paralympics and continues to dominate over a range of distances on both the track and road.”

• Matthew Cowdrey, become Australian Paralympic legend.                      
  "A win in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay ensured Matthew Cowdrey became Australia's most successful Paralympian after he snared the 10th gold medal of his career." (ABC) 
  The win also drew Cowdrey level with Australian athlete Tim Sullivan on 10 golds.