 The origins of the Winter Paralympics are similar to the Summer Paralympics . Injured soldiers returning from World War II sought sports as an avenue to healing . Organized by Dr. Ludwig Guttmann , sports competitions between British convalescent hospitals began in 1948 and continued until 1960 when a parallel Olympics was held in Rome after the 1960 Summer Olympics . Over 400 wheelchair athletes competed at the 1960 Paralympic Games , which became known as the first Paralympics . 
