The idea for the Paralympics was born in 1948 when a sports competition for people who had injured their spines while fighting in the Second World War took place.
Over the years it got bigger until 1960 when an Olympic-style event took place in Rome.
By Montreal in 1976 athletes with other disabilities were included as well.
The Paralympics have always been in the same year as the Summer Olympics, but have only been held in the same country since 1988 in Seoul, Korea.
In 1976 the first ever Paralympics Winter Games took place in Sweden.
The name comes from the Parallel Olympics, which was shortened to paralympics.
History
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