Image: Wenlock Olympian Society Archive
The Wenlock Olympian Society is a significant contributor to the development of the modern International Olympic Movement. The Society was founded by William Penny Brookes in 1850 as the ‘Wenlock Olympian Class’ to provide
annual competitions in sports and the arts for people of every grade
Brooks was a surgeon, magistrate and social reformer in the town of Much Wenlock. His vision, to provide opportunities for, “every grade of person,” to improve both their knowledge and their physical well being was the driving force behind the Wenlock Olympian Games.
Baron Pierre de Coubertin – the father of the Modern Olympics – visited Much Wenlock in 1890 to observe the Games, and observed that
The Wenlock people alone have preserved and followed the true Olympian traditions.
Pierre de Coubertin, 1897
The Wenlock Olympian Society continues today, with the Games still held in Shropshire, centred around the town of Much Wenlock. You can find out more about the Games, their history, and search through their archives using the buttons below
With thanks to: Wenlock Olympian Society