User:Dawn Renshaw/Draft history from outreachwiki

PARALYMPIC HISTORY at MOUNT WILGA PRIVATE HOSPITAL, NEW SOUTH WALES

Originally known as Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centre located in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby, significant pioneers made outstanding contributions to the establishment of the Australian Paralympic Movement. Commonwealth Government Rehabilitation Services transferred to this Centre in 1953, catering mainly for the rehabilitation and residential needs of disabled servicemen. With the Centre's outstanding reputation for high standards of the most modern and best equipped facility in Australia, the hospital began to cater for peoples' rehabilitation needs, predominately spinal injuries medically led by Doctor Bradney Norington CBE.

Eileen Perrottet
Eileen Perrottet (24 December 1917 – 23 November 1973) senior physiotherapist at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Hospital, was noted for her contribution to the Paralympic Movement. .

In 1959, Perrottet organized the first Paraplegic Games in New South Wales at the Mount Wilga Centre. . Three team members, Daphne Ceeney, Ross Sutton, Gary Hooper. all from New South Wales, compete at the 1960 Summer Paralympic Games. ].

The history of Mount Wilga Hospital recognized the professional dedication of Perrottet who initiated Kevin Betts interest in working with paraplegic patients being assisted by the hospital's rehabilitation programs.

According to Kevin Betts, author of The Challenge of Sport, Paraplegic Sport was introduced in New South Wales in 1959, by the untiring efforts of Eileen Perrottet. The first Competition Games held at the Centre in 1959, set the pattern for the first Royal North Shore Hospital Games held in 1960.

Kevin Betts
Kevin Betts,(13 August 1926 - 4 May 1990), a remedial gymnast, and famous sports administrator was known for his service to the physically disabled, and in particular, people with spinal cord injuries. His career began at Mount Wilga in the 'day attendance centre' of the hospital, the largest rehabilitation centre in Australia.

Betts was Team Escort at the 1960 Paralympic Games that included the three athletes listed above, all patients in the rehabilitation program at the Mount Wilga Centre.

Kevin Coombs, first indigenous Australian to compete at the first1960 Summer Paralympic Games, noted that Betts went on to become a top administrator.

The Centre, now a specialist rehabilitation hospital, operating in Hornsby, New South Wales for the past sixty years, recognized that Betts left a significant mark on the history of Mount Wilga hospital Dedication of the new wing of the hospital in 2012, by Paralympian Jeff Simmonds, was named in honour of Betts.

Doctor John Grant
John Grant,(14 August 1922 - 10 November 2013) a skilled and pioneering neurosurgeon, member of the Medical Advisory Committee at Mount Wilga hospital established the North Shore Hospital Games. The Centre was the site for the Snooker and Powerlifting events. Grant ensured that expert neurological consultation was available, in addition to the rehabilitation programs at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Hospital.

Jeff Simmonds
Jeff Simmonds (born 17 April 1944),encouraged by Betts to get involved in sport for people with paraplegia, was a patient in the rehabilitation program at the Mount Wilga Centre in the 1960's, a Silver medallist, swimming, at the 1968 Summer Paralympic Games , competed in Snooker at the fourteenth Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Games held at the Mount Wilga Centre in 1973