The origins of the Paralympics lie in the Normandy landings at the end of the Second World War and the resulting rehabilitation of wounded servicemen and women, particularly those with spinal cord injuries. The first Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome is also associated with the meeting of the World Veterans Federation held in Rome at around the same time. Furthermore, the 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games had several participants who had been wounded as a result of World War II. In this way, the history of the Paralympic Games has been linked to war.
Even today, many countries, such as the US and the UK, have wounded servicemen and women among their Paralympic athletes. Some countries also provide special programs and funding for the participation of wounded servicemen and women in the Paralympics.
International sports competitions exist in part to inspire and encourage people who have been wounded in war. A typical example is the Invictus Games begun by Prince Harry of the British Royal Family, and the Warrior Games in the US, which inspired the Invictus Games. This article describes the history and current status of these two international competitions and includes a brief pre-World War II history of sports and physical education programs in Japan for those who were wounded in war.
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