The Father of Paralympics
“If I ever did one good thing in my medical career, it was to introduce sport into the rehabilitation of disabled people.”
In that one sentence, Sir Ludwig Guttmann didn’t just summarize a career — he ignited a movement. What began as a radical shift in post-war spinal cord injury care has since evolved into a global celebration of athletic excellence: the Paralympic Games. But more than a competition, Guttmann’s vision reframed disability itself — not as limitation, but as a new way to compete, to recover, and to belong. Today, we can celebrate his birthday by recognizing the impact of his idea that echoes in every adaptive sport, every determined athlete, and every victory earned against the odds.
Guttmann was born in Tost, Germany (now known as Toszek, Poland) on July 3rd of 1899. As a young man, Guttmann was volunteering at a hospital when he encountered a patient with a spinal fracture. It was his first paraplegic patient, a coal miner who later died of sepsis. This patient had a lasting impact on Guttmann and his future medical career. Guttmann went on to study at the University of Breslau, eventually transferring over to University of Freiburg, where he received his Doctorate of Medicine in 1924.
In September of 1943, after Guttmann had fled Germany, he was asked by the British Government to establish the National Spinal Injuries Center at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The Royal Air Force hoped Gutmann would improve the treatment and rehabilitation of the many pilots in the Royal Air Force who had spinal cord injuries from World War II. Guttmann believed that sports would be a great addition to rehabilitation. It was his philosophy that sports would be the inaugural part of rehabilitation and he felt that it would help build a patient's strength and self esteem while navigating their newly disabled lives. “We had not only to save the life of these paraplegic or quadriplegic men, women and children but also give them back their dignity and make them happy and respected citizens,” Guttmann quoted.
Sir Ludwig Guttmann at Stoke Mandeville Games 1953. Photo: WheelPower British Wheelchair Sport
Guttmann organized the first Stoke Mandeville games for disabled war veterans. His aim was to create an elite sports competition for people with disabilities that was equivalent to the Olympic Games. The Stoke Mandeville Games was held on the first day of the London Olympic Games on July 29, 1948. The event involved 16 servicemen and women who participated in the sport of Archery. From there, the Stoke Mandeville games continued to be held every year until 1952. The games grew so quickly that by 1952, 130 countries attended these games, eventually leading to the first “official” games during the Olympics in Rome of 1960. Year after year, the games continued to be held in the same country where the Olympics took place, and soon became recognized as the Paralympics.
The Paralympics is an internationally recognized part of the Olympic games. We can thank Sir Ludwig Guttmann for introducing sports back into the lives of those with disabilities and for his unwavering commitment and work.
Happy birthday to the man who will forever be known as the Father of Paralympics.
Sir Ludwig Guttmann and Team boarding a flight to the Rome 1960 Paralympic Games.
Photo: International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS)