1962 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games
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| Host city | Perth, Australia |
|---|---|
| Nations participating | 9 |
| Athletes participating | 93 |
| Events | 88 |
| Opening ceremony | 10 November |
| Closing ceremony | 17 November |
| Officially opened by | Sir Charles Gairdner |
| Main venue | Royal Agricultural Showgrounds |
The First Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held in Perth, Western Australia from 10 to 17 November 1962. These Games preceded the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games which were held in Perth from 22 November to 1 December of that year. The Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were conceived by Dr George Bedbrook after Perth won the right to host the Commonwealth Games. Great support was received from the Royal Perth Hospital, a leading spinal rehabilitation centre in Australia.
These games raised the profile of paraplegic (spinal cord and polio) athletes in Australia, particularly Western Australia. The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Hugh Leslie, who had lost a leg in World War Two, gave a speech aimed to change public perceptions about disabilities by addressing the power of language. These Games, he told the audience, ‘were designed to prove to the public that the person who was bodily handicapped was not a cripple, and he hoped that that horrible word would eventually be wiped out of use. He had a slogan which he hoped would be adopted by all disabled: "I can, I will".
Leading officials such as Bedbrook, the founder of the Stoke Mandeville Games, were impressed with the spectator turnout. Although the standards were lower than those of the Stoke Mandeville Games, there were some outstanding individual performances and several world records were broken.
It was decided to hold the games in Perth because the city was to host the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and Royal Perth Hospital had a well developed spinal unit that could support paraplegic athletes. The Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held before the main Games as to not impact on this event and provide the opportunity for athletes to stay on for the main Games.
The Royal Perth Hospital's board of management were the official sponsors of the event and established an organising committee in 1959. The Australian Paraplegic Council was not formed until February 1962. The main members of the organising committee were Hugh Leslie (Executive Chairman), Dr George Bedbrook (General Secretary) and Mrs M.R. Fathers, (Secretary). The appointment of Hugh Leslie, a leg amputee, as chairman was important due to his influence as a member of Federal Parliament, his previous experience with paraplegic sporting teams and as a champion of people with a disability.
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