Opening of Wheelchair Olympics Rome: The scene here in the Aqua Acetosa Stadium as Italy's Minister of Health, Camillo Giardina, officially opened the Paralympics Wheelchair Olympics. About 400 men and women from 22 Nations are here for the ninth international games for Paraplegics, the biggest competition of its kind in history. The participants all are confined to wheelchairs, and are paralyzed from the waist down by spinal injuries. 19th September 1960