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The first Paralympic Games - hosting 400 athletes from 23 countries - took place in Rome on 18th September, 1960.\xa0\nBut it was only known by this name retrospectively: the day it took place, this festival of disabled sport was called The Ninth Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games.\nSprung from a competition held at a hospital in Buckinghamshire, and pioneered by German-Jewish neurosurgeon Dr. Ludwig Guttman, the Games began as part of a physiotherapy programme for soldiers and civilians with spinal cord injuries. As the Stoke Mandeville Games expanded, so did the variety of sports and the level of competition.\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly reveal Russia\u2019s initial refusal to participate; uncover the controversial use of performance-enhancing drugs; and celebrate Dr. Guttman\u2019s vision of what was possible for athletes with disabilities...\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 Paralympians still hold a flame for Stoke Mandeville pioneer (The Times, 2023): https://www.thetimes.com/sport/cricket/article/paralympians-still-hold-a-flame-for-stoke-mandeville-pioneer-653kbqjx5\n\u2022 \u2018Celebrating 60 years since Rome 1960 - the first Paralympic Games!\u2019 (Paralympic Games, 2020): https://www.paralympic.org/feature/celebrating-60-years-rome-1960-first-paralympic-games\n\u2022\xa0\u2019How the Paralympics Began\u2019 (The Retrospectors, 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1cA22GsmBE\n\nLove the show? Support us!\xa0\nJoin\xa0 \U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\U0001f334to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode each SUNDAY\u2026\xa0\n\n\u2026 Plus, get weekly bonus bits, and unlock over 100 bits of extra content.\xa0\nJoin now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show \u2764\ufe0f\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices