The first Paralympic was held in Stoke Mandeville in 1948. Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a neurologist, believed that sport was a better way of mental and physical rehabilitation for spinal injury. He organised the first game in the same year of the London Olympics. That was the begin of Paralympic Games. Paralympic Game has now become a large international sports event.
The London 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony was held on 29th August 2012. Below is the logo for Paralympics 2012.
The 2012 Paralympics marks the return of Paralympic to its birthplace - the British village of Stoke Mandeville, where the first game was hold for the veterans.
There are more than 2100 medals are to be grabbed. 205 countries are participating the Games. Australia has sent 15 athletes to compete at the Games. Wheelchair rugby player Greg Smith carried the Australian flag and led the Australian team into the arena in the opening ceremony. This is his fifth Paralympics.
Wheelchair basketball is one of the popular sports at Paralympic. Australia has sent the Men’s team called the Rollers and the Women’s team the Gliders to compete at the Games.
Born in 1981, Australian wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley has competed in 43 marathons and won 31 medals including 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze in Paralympic. He started participating the Paralympic Games in 2004 and is now competing the third time. He received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2004; and has received some recognition such as New South Wales Institue of Sport Athlete of the Year in 2007, Confederation of Australian Sport Athlete of the Year with a Disability in 2007, The Age's Sport Performer Award in the Performer with a Disability nominee in 2011 and so on. His achievement greatly encourages people to overcome any difficulty.
