International Paralympic Committee

Hello. We are the International Paralympic Committee, though you may know us by our acronym, the IPC. We are the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement, and our purpose is to organize the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and to serve as an international federation for several Para sports. Our story, however, does not begin with an organization, but with a powerful idea that changed the world of sports forever. It started with a doctor named Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who saw a future where sport could be a source of strength and community for everyone.

After the end of World War II, many soldiers returned home with life-changing injuries. In England, Sir Ludwig Guttmann was working with these veterans, and he believed that sport could play a vital role in their recovery. He envisioned a competition that would not only help with physical rehabilitation but also rebuild confidence and a sense of purpose. In 1948, he turned this vision into reality by organizing a sports event at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. This competition, called the Stoke Mandeville Games, was specifically for veterans with spinal cord injuries. It was a groundbreaking moment. For the first time, sport was being used in this way, demonstrating to the world that it could be a powerful tool for empowerment for people with disabilities.

The idea that began in Stoke Mandeville was too important to stay in one place. It quickly captured the imagination of athletes and organizers around the globe. Just twelve years later, in 1960, the Stoke Mandeville Games took a monumental step onto the world stage. They were held in Rome, Italy, in the same city and shortly after the Olympic Games had concluded. This event is now officially recognized as the first Paralympic Games. The scale of the competition showed just how much the movement had grown: four hundred athletes traveled from 23 different countries to compete. This was the true beginning of a new global tradition, a dedicated, elite sporting event for athletes with an impairment.

For the next several decades, the Paralympic Movement continued to expand. More sports were added, and the number of participating athletes and nations grew with each event. However, this rapid growth also presented a challenge. The Games were managed by several different organizations, each focused on athletes with specific types of impairments. While everyone was working toward a similar goal, there was a need for a single, unified body to guide the entire movement forward. To solve this, representatives from around the world came together to create one central organization. As a result, we were officially founded on September 22nd, 1989, in the city of Düsseldorf, Germany.

Our creation marked a new era for the Paralympic Movement. With one single governing body in place, we could create a more consistent and professional structure for the Games and for Para sport in general. Our mission was established with two clear parts: first, to organize the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, ensuring they were world-class events; and second, to support Para athletes worldwide in achieving their sporting dreams. This meant setting competition standards, enforcing rules, and promoting the development of Para sport at every level, from local communities to the international stage.

A major step in elevating the Paralympic Games came through our partnership with our counterparts in the Olympic Movement. In 2001, we signed a historic agreement with the International Olympic Committee, or IOC. This agreement formalized a principle that had sometimes happened in the past: that the Paralympic Games would always be held in the same host city as the Olympic Games. This “one city, one bid” approach meant that any city bidding to host the Olympics also had to plan and prepare for hosting the Paralympics. This partnership has been crucial for our growth.

The impact of this agreement has been immense. It has significantly raised the profile of the Paralympic Games, placing them on the same level as the Olympics in the eyes of the world. Because of this partnership, our athletes now compete in the very same state-of-the-art stadiums and world-class venues as their Olympic counterparts. This also ensures that the Games receive more global media attention, allowing millions of people to witness the incredible performances of Para athletes and be inspired by their achievements. The collaboration helps ensure that the legacy of the Games, including accessible infrastructure, benefits all residents of the host city long after the competitions end.

Today, we proudly continue the work that started with Sir Ludwig Guttmann’s vision in 1948. The Paralympic Movement is larger and more visible than ever before, with more athletes, more sports, and more countries participating in each edition of the Games. Our identity is represented by our symbol, the ‘Agitos.’ It consists of three arcs of red, blue, and green—the colors most widely represented in national flags around the world. These three arcs are in motion, encircling a central point, which symbolizes our role in bringing athletes from all corners of the globe together to compete. The shape of the Agitos comes from a Latin word meaning ‘I move,’ and it represents our official motto: ‘Spirit in Motion.’ This motto captures the essence of our athletes, who constantly inspire and excite the world with their performances. Our goal goes beyond the field of play; we strive to celebrate the achievements of every Para athlete and use the power of sport to help build a more inclusive world for everyone.