Annual Paraplegic Games at Stoke Mandeville

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From the collection of

East Anglian Film Archive at the University of East Anglia
The East Anglian Film Archive, the UK's first regional film archive, offers a unique record of the East of England's social and cultural history. As part of the University of East Anglia, we continue to lead moving image heritage research and inspire audience participation through community projects and events. Our collections represent a broad range of amateur and professional creativity, from 1896 to the present day.

Annual Paraplegic Games at Stoke Mandeville


Founder of the Paralympics, Sir Ludwig Guttman at the International Stoke Mandeville Games in Buckinghamshire in 1975. Anglia TV reports.

Anglia Television cover the sporting action at the International Stoke Mandeville Games in Buckinghamshire in 1975, showing a competitive yet supportive community of para-sportsmen and women. Reporter Chris Young meets the Games' founder, Spinal Cord Injuries Unit Director Sir Ludwig Guttman, and there are interviews with participating athletes, in particular two wheelchair archers whose injuries in workplace accidents resulted in wheelchair dependency.

Forerunner to the Paralympics, the Stoke Mandeville Games evolved from its beginnings as rehabilitation for British World War II veteran patients in 1948, thanks to the pioneering spirit of the then Director of the Spinal Cord Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Sir Ludwig Guttman. Neurologist Guttman offered an holistic approach to treating patients, encouraging participation in sport not only to help develop a patient's muscles but to also enhance psychological well-being.


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