At the request of the British Government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, and in time, rehabilitation sport evolved to recreational sport and then to competitive sport.

In the US, World War II veterans gave birth to wheelchair basketball.  They played in Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals in Birmingham (CA) and Framingham (MA), as well as at the Corona Naval Station (CA) where World War II veterans were being treated for various degrees of paralysis. The Birmingham Report published an article on November 26, 1946, titled “Plegics Win Wheelchair Game, 16 to 6”. The veterans competed against doctors who practiced at the Birmingham Hospital.

Saul Welger became a founding member of the Brooklyn Whirlaways Wheelchair Basketball team.

On July 29, 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for World War II veterans with a spinal cord-related injury which he named the Stoke Mandeville Games, as they took place in Stoke Mandeville, England. The Games involved 16 injured servicemen and women who took part in archery. Following the success of the event, Guttmann decided to make the Games an annual event. Guttmann’s creation of the Stoke Mandeville Games was the moment that the Paralympic movement was born.

The National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) was formed. Six teams emerged representing VA hospitals across the US. A national tournament was organized and hosted by the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA).

Six teams competed in the 2nd Annual Stoke Mandeville Games and “wheelchair netball” (later deemed wheelchair basketball) was introduced.

The International Stoke Mandeville Games were founded. The first internationalization of this competition occurred, where competitors from Holland were invited to complete in archery, table tennis, darts and snooker.

Pan Am World Airways controller John Sylvester Woodbridge, following attending a wheelchair basketball game between the Brooklyn Whirlaways and the Queens Charioteers, was inspired to form a wheelchair basketball team for Pan Am. He recruited men to work for Pan Am from the Whirlaways and Charioteer teams, as well as veterans with disabilities from the VA hospitals. He trained many of the men as junior accountants, computer support people and in reservations functions.

Saul Welger and The Pan Am Jets were the 1st US Wheelchair Basketball Team to participate in the Stoke Mandeville Games. Saul also won a gold medal, for Table Tennis, at the same games.

• Saul Welger and The Pan Am Jets won the US National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Championship.
• Saul Welger and The Pan Am Jets won the gold in Wheelchair Basketball at the Stoke Mandeville Games.

Christa Zander participated in her first Stoke Mandeville Games, representing Germany, and won 5 medals:

• Gold 40 Meter Crawl
• Gold 40 Meter Breaststroke
• Gold 40 Meter Backstroke
• Gold Club Throw
• Silver Doubles Table Tennis

Saul Welger and The Pan Am Jets won the gold in Wheelchair Basketball at the Stoke Mandeville Games.

Christa Zander and Saul Welger met for the first time.

Saul Welger and The Pan Am Jets won the US National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Championship.

Christa Zander participated in the Stoke Mandeville Games, representing Germany, and won 3 medals:

• Gold 40 Meter Backstroke
• Gold 40 Meter Crawl
• Gold 40 Meter Breaststroke

Saul Welger and The Pan Am Jets won the gold in Wheelchair Basketball at the Stoke Mandeville Games.

Christa Zander and Saul Welger reconnect.

The Stoke Mandeville Games, later known as the 1st Paralympic Games, took place in Rome, Italy, featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. These Games were held for the first time outside the UK, parallel to the 1960 Summer Olympics. From here onwards, it was decided that every four years another Paralympic Games would take place, to coincide with the Summer Olympic calendar.

Christa Zander participated in the Stoke Mandeville Games, representing Germany, and won 8 medals:

• Gold 50 Meter Crawl
• Gold 50 Meter Backstroke
• Gold 50 Meter Breaststroke
• Gold Shot Put
• Gold Javelin
• Gold Club Throw
• Bronze Archery
• Bronze Doubles Table Tennis

Saul Welger and the US Wheelchair Basketball team won the gold at the Stoke Mandeville Games. Saul also won a bronze medal for Shot Put.

Christa Zander participated in the Stoke Mandeville International Games, representing Germany, and won 6 medals:

• Gold Javelin
• Gold 50 Meter Back Stroke
• Gold 50 Meter Breast Stroke
• Gold 50 Meter Crawl
• Gold Shot Put
• Gold Javelin

Saul Welger and the US Wheelchair Basketball team won the gold at the Stoke Mandeville International Games.

Christa Zander and Saul Welger marry, June 4th 1962.

Christa Zander participated in the Stoke Mandeville International Games, representing Germany, and won 7 medals:

• Gold 50 Meter Backstroke
• Gold 50 Meter Crawl
• Gold 50 Meter Breaststroke
• Gold Club Throw
• Gold Shot Put
• Gold Javelin
• Gold Discus

Saul Welger and the US Wheelchair Basketball team won the gold at the Stoke Mandeville International Games.

In 1960, under the aegis of the World Federation of ex-servicemen, an International Working Group on Sport for the Disabled was set up to study the problems of sport for persons with an impairment. It resulted in the creation, in 1964, of the International Sport Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) who offered opportunities for those athletes who could not affiliate to the International Stoke Mandeville Games: vision impaired, amputees, persons with cerebral palsy and paraplegics. At the start, 16 countries were affiliated to ISOD.

The 2nd Paralympics took place in Tokyo, Japan, which drew together 378 Para athletes from 21 countries. In total there were 144 medal events across nine sports.

Christa Welger participated in the US National Wheelchair Games, and won 2 medals:

• Silver 50 yard Freestyle
• Silver Discus

Christa Welger represented the United States and participated in the Tokyo Paralympics, and won 6 medals:

• Gold Club Throw
• Silver 50 Meter Backstroke
• Silver 50 Meter Breaststroke
• Silver Javelin
• Bronze 50 Meter Freestyle
• Bronze Wheelchair Dash

Saul Welger and the US Wheelchair Basketball team won the gold at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Saul Welger inducted into the Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame.

Christa Welger inducted into the National Wheelchair Athletic Association (NWAA) Hall of Fame (renamed Adaptive Sports USA Hall of Fame)

The Paralympic and Olympic Games were both held in Seoul, Korea. The host organizing committees for the first time ensured that the Paralympic athletes competed in the same venues (except housed in different villages) as the Olympic Games. They also had similar style Opening and Closing Ceremonies. For many, these Games represent the birth of the modern Paralympic Games.

Passing of Saul Welger on October 10th

• Passing of Christa Welger on May 30th
• Inception of the Christa and Saul Welger Foundation

The US Olympic & Paralympic Museum opens in Colorado Springs, CO and includes memorabilia from Christa and Saul. Renovation of the James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame museum to include additional memorabilia from Saul Welger.