The History of Para Athletics — And Three Athletes Who Paved the Way

Every revolutionary moment comes from one great idea. In 1948, neurologist Dr. Ludwig Guttmann’s idea marked the beginning of decades of opportunities for para athletes everywhere. 

Dubbed the “Stoke Mandeville Games” in honor of Stoke Mandeville Hospital, a competition for athletes in wheelchairs was orchestrated by Dr. Guttmann on the opening day of the 1948 Olympics. The games hosted 16 veterans who had spinal injuries and were skilled in archery — two of whom were women. 

In working directly with patients at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Dr. Guttmann recognized the long-term mental and physical benefits of athletic opportunities for disabled people. His understanding of wellness and psychology began to shift societal perceptions of disabled athletes in sports.

This historic event set the foundation for what would eventually become the Paralympics.

Just six days after the closing ceremony of the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, the first official Paralympics took the stage in the same city. The long-awaited competition marked the debut of eight different sports: Para archery, Para athletics, dartchery, snooker, Para swimming, Para table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball. 

What began as the Stoke Mandeville Games grew into the international competition that we know today. A total of 319 athletes took on the world’s first major Para athletics event, advancing representation of disabled athletes on the big stage.  

After over 60 years, the Paralympics now features 28 sporting events with a record 1,983 women competing in the 2024 summer games and a record 160 women in the 2026 winter games.

The Paralympics have highlighted athletic greatness not only in adults, but also for younger athletes. At just 11-years-old, Natalia Partyka became the youngest Paralympian in the event’s history. 

The Polish table tennis star was introduced to the sport at only seven years old. Once she reached middle school, Partyka qualified for the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. By 2004, Partyka secured a gold medal, making history once again as the youngest para athlete to achieve the feat 

Partyka is now a six-time gold medalist and has contributed her talents to both Paralympic and Olympic events. She remains one of just two women Para table tennis players to compete in both major competitions.

Candace Cable has championed in every sport she’s touched. In 1992, she became the first woman to medal at the summer and winter Paralympics. With a total of nine Paralympic Games under her belt, she has acquired 12 medals for track and field, alpine skiing, and Nordic skiing.

Her introduction to athletics was unlike many others. Cable had not begun playing sports during her childhood but instead realized her passion for sports in college following a major spinal injury. After her Paralympic debut in 1980, Cable’s athleticism proved time and time again that she would be forever etched in athletic history.

Oksana Masters continues to set the bar for athletes everywhere. As a U.S. multi-sport Paralympian, Masters has competed in Para Nordic skiing, Para cycling, and Para rowing. She has won in all of her specialized sports several times over. 

Over the course of her 14-year Paralympic career, Masters is a 24-time Paralympic medalist with 13 gold, seven silver, and four bronze. She is the first Paralympian on the U.S. team to win seven medals at one Paralympic Games in Beijing 2022. 

Her journey to athletic greatness inspires many because of the trials she faced in her early years. Born in Ukraine, Masters and her birth mother were affected by radiation exposure from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster of 1986, causing congenital disabilities to her limbs and organs. Despite experiencing many struggles, Masters pursued athletics at just 13 years old and made her Paralympic debut in 2012.

The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games drew a record number of viewers on NBC and Peacock. The event’s broadcast coverage included all sporting events, marking the first time in history that Para badminton, Para powerlifting, and shooting Para sports were broadcast. 

The summer event averaged 1.32M viewers in the U.S. over two weeks of competition, with ad sales increasing by 60% since the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. 

The 2026 Winter Paralympic Games followed suit, becoming the most-watched winter Paralympics on record. Hosted in Milan, the competition reached 22.7M viewers on television, almost doubling the viewership numbers in the 2022 Winter Games. 

Disabled athletes aren’t the only people getting more representation on screen. In 2024, NBC also brought on broadcast journalists to improve coverage, three of whom were hosts with disabilities. More disabled representation — on the field, in front of the camera, and otherwise — is a huge win for disabled communities. 

As the Paralympic Games continue to reach new audiences, the numbers reflect just how far professional Para athletics has expanded.