From Stoke Mandeville to Sochi

Aristotle once said that if you wish to understand something, then you must first observe its beginning and its development. When this author started researching the history of the Paralympic Games with the onset of his Ph.D. studies in 1999, it quickly became clear to him that there was no clear or comprehensive source of information about the Games. Building upon the first edition of this book, From Stoke Mandeville to Stratford: A History of the Summer Paralympic Games, this edition includes details from the winter Paralympic Games and is an attempt to document the history of both the summer and winter Paralympic Games in one accessible and easy-to-read volume. From the outset, it should be made very clear that this book is not meant to be an academic text. It has always been the author’s intention that it should be a resource for anyone with an interest in the summer and winter Paralympic Games and their history. The idea was to bring together all of the facts, figures, and interesting stories that have occurred in the development of the Games; from their roots at Stoke Mandeville hospital in the United Kingdom to the global mega-event with close links to the Olympic Games that they have become today. This is the first publication to bring together all the available images of artefacts connected with the Games, such as posters and winners’ medals—some of which have never been seen in print before. Although every endeavour has been made to include all of the key relevant information available, this is by no means a complete history but more a starting point for future researchers and historians. It has taken the better part of fourteen years to collect the information contained in this book. The author hopes it will inspire others to contribute to a more complete history, in much the same way as in the area of Olympic history, which may lead to a better understanding of the importance of the Paralympic Games and their impact upon the lives of people with disabilities

Doping in Sports · History · Sport and Mega-Event Impacts · Sports, Gender, and Society · Athletes with disabilities · Paralympics · Sports for people with disabilities

• Participation of people living with disabilities in physical activity

  Open Access•Kathleen A Martin Ginis, Hidde P van der Ploeg et al.•The Lancet•2021

  Añadir item

• I’m not an activist’

  Stuart Braye•Disability & Society•2016

  Añadir item

• Leveraging the London 2012 Paralympic Games

  Open Access•Ian Brittain, Aaron Beacom•Journal of Sport and Social Issues•2016

  Añadir item

• Dis(abling) conceptions of disability sport

  Simon Gérard, Ian Brittain et al.•Business History•2025

  Añadir item