Sir Adolphe Abrahams (6 February 1883 – 11 December 1967) was a British medical doctor, and he is considered to be the founder of British

sports science Sports science is a discipline that studies how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health and performance from cellular to whole body perspectives. The study of sports science traditionally inc ...

Career

Abrahams was born in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

on 6 February 1883, as the son of Isaac and Esther Abrahams. He was educated at

Bedford Modern School Bedford Modern School (often called BMS) is a Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference independent school in Bedford, England. The school has its origins in The Harpur Trust, born from the endowments left by Sir William Harpur in the six ...

between 1891 and 1899, at Bedford School, and at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Abrahams is considered the founder of British sports science. He was the medical officer in charge of the British Olympic teams from 1912 until 1948. He was also the President of the British Association of Sports and Medicine, and a Fellow of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chamber ...

. Abrahams was knighted in 1939.

Family life

Abrahams married Adrienne Walsh in 1922; they had a son and a daughter. He was the elder brother of the athletes

Harold Abrahams Harold Maurice Abrahams (15 December 1899 – 14 January 1978) was an English track and field athlete. He was Olympic champion in 1924 in the 100 metres sprint, a feat depicted in the 1981 film '' Chariots of Fire''. Biography Early life ...

and Sir Sidney Abrahams . He died on 11 December 1967.

References

1883 births 1967 deaths Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Bedford School People educated at Bedford Modern School Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge Knights Bachelor 20th-century English medical doctors English Jews Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians English people of Polish-Jewish descent English people of Welsh descent Emigrants from Cape Colony to the United Kingdom People from Cape Town {{UK-med-bio-stub