Following a spinal injury in the late 1940s, Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann encouraged wounded servicemen to participate in sport as a developmental tool at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. As a result, local tournaments, the Stoke Mandeville Games, and the Paralympic Games have gained considerable popular support and attention on a national and global scale.
The Heritage Centre at Stoke Mandeville Stadium will commemorate and research the stadium’s unique position as the cornerstone of the Paralympic movement. The following interactive exhibitions are among those available:
- Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann’s life and work
- Significant junctures in the road from the 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games to the contemporary Olympic Paralympic Games
- Wheelchair sports growth
- Ceremonies at the Paralympics