THE Paralympic Games are due to begin this summer.

The Olympic Games will begin in July, with the Paralympic Games following in the weeks ahead.

They are also known as the Games of the Paralympiad and are a series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities.

The Paralympics began as a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948.

The 1960 Games in Rome drew 400 athletes with disabilities from 23 countries, as proposed by doctor Antonio Maglio. As of the early 21st century, it is one of the largest international sporting events, with 4,520 athletes from 163 National Paralympic Committees at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

Paralympians strive for equal treatment with non-disabled Olympic athletes, but there is a large funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The Paralympic Games are organized in parallel with and in a similar way to the Olympic Games.

Given the wide variety of disabilities of Para athletes, there are several categories in which they compete.

Athletes with disabilities did compete at the Olympic Games prior to the advent of the Paralympics.

The first Winter Paralympic Games were held in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. This was the first Paralympics in which multiple categories of athletes with disabilities could compete.

Today the games are on par with the Olympic Games in terms of interest and popularity. These photos show the impact the games have had on the people of Cumbria. We hope that they help to bring back some fond memories for some of you.