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SPEAKER_01: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Wamanica. Today's Olympian was one of the most prominent track and field stars of the 20th century. Despite facing sexism, ageism and antisemitism, she reigned as the world's fastest woman. Let's talk about the life and legacy of track's first femme superstar, Stella Walsh. Stella was born Stanislava Własiewiczzówna in the rural Polish town of Wierichczywnya on April 3rd, 1911. When Stella was 15 months old, her family emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio in search of medical treatment for her. Stella was born Intersex. According to her birth certificate and other records, doctors struggled to understand her condition. Growing up, Stella took an immediate liking to track. Nicknamed the Polish Flyer, by the age of 17, she was an international track star. In 1928, Stella won her first heat at the Olympic Trials and won her first European championship in the 60, 100 and 200 meter sprints. Back in Cleveland, Stella took a job at the New York Central Railroad, while technically hired as a clerk. In actuality, the railroad company wanted to use Stella's image to promote their new fast modern trains. Stella took photographs racing the fleet trains, and her image quickly became synonymous with track and incredible speed. By 1930, Stella was absolutely unstoppable on the track. In January of that year, she set three new world records in just one week. In February, she broke world records at 45 and 220 yards. In April, she broke her own world record for the 220 yard dash. And a few months later, she set more world records at 100 and 200 yards, as well as for the broad jump. In September of 1930, at the World Games in Prague, she swept the 60, 100 and 200 meter races. After the Games, Stella went to Warsaw, where the Polish government implored Stella to stay in the country and compete as a Pole. Stella declined the offer, instead choosing to represent the United States. In April of 1932, Stella decided to celebrate her 21st birthday by becoming a naturalized citizen. While waiting for her citizenship papers to arrive, her entire department at the New York Central Railroad was cut, leaving her with no income and no sponsor. The Cleveland mayor offered Stella a position in the recreation department, but the Amateur Athletic Union warned her that accepting a job related to sports would forfeit Stella's amateur status and would disqualify her from the Olympics. On the way to her naturalization hearing, Stella received a telegram offering her a job at the Polish Consulate Office in New York. This job allowed Stella to compete in track with both an income and sponsor, but she could no longer race for the US. Stella racing for Poland led to public outcry in the States. Following the end of World War I and the Immigration Act of 1924, many in the United States held strong anti-immigrant sentiments. The Amateur Athletic Union threatened to disqualify her from Games, and the press called for her to be banned from the sport. In response, Stella simply said, I am running for Poland because I am a Pole. She never mentioned that running for the US had been her first choice. In the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Stella was at it again, this time under the Polish flag. She won the 100-meter dash and tied several world records. Stella's undefeated record finally came to an end in 1935 when American runner Helen Stevens beat her in a 50-meter race. Helen was the first person to outrun the so-called fastest woman on the planet, and Stella and Helen's relationship became quite adversarial. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Stella and Helen had their final rematch. In the 1930s, in Nazi Germany, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Helen was revered by the crowd, while Stella experienced violent anti-Semitism and ageism from audiences and press alike. Spectators spat on Stella as she tried to compete. Stella pulled a muscle and lost to Helen in the 100-meter dash. Stressed and humiliated, Stella decided to retire after the Berlin Olympics, but her retirement didn't quite stick. Stella came back to racing in 1947. Soon, she was once again setting new American records at 50, 60, and 80 meters. Later that year, Stella was finally granted American citizenship. Stella's return to the sport was hit with further controversy. In 1948, the Amateur Athletic Union ruled that Stella was no longer eligible to represent the United States in track because she'd previously competed for Poland. For eight years, the AAU denied Stella from racing. Until one day, Stella found a loophole with the International Olympic Committee. Women were allowed to represent a second country if they changed their nationality through marriage. Stella married Harry Olson, a man 12 years her junior. While the marriage itself was a surprise to Stella's relatives and closest friends, it allowed Stella to once again compete in track under the American flag. Stella won her final race in 1977 at the age of 66, a 60-meter dash at the World Polish Olympics in Krakow, Poland. Her final race was greatly celebrated, a reminder of all the glory she'd received in the 1930s. At the end of her running career, Stella moved back to her Polish-American neighborhood in Cleveland to take care of her mother. Stella remained very much immersed in athletic life, often coaching young children. In December of 1980, while coming home from a bar, Stella Walsh was murdered during an armed robbery attempt. Though Stella initially survived the attack, she died on the operating table after being taken to a nearby hospital. After Stella's death, an autopsy was performed. On the eve of her funeral, the Cleveland TV station WKYC went on air, claiming that Stella was actually a man. Outraged, Stella's family and the Polish-American community protested the news station and threatened to sue. Anxious to prove its claim, WKYC appealed to the district court. The coroner was ordered to publicly release Stella's autopsy report. In the report, the coroner referred to Stella as individual, and her chromosomal report revealed she had a mix of XY and XX chromosomes. While some tried to create a scandal out of this information, Cleveland's Polish community remained unwavering in its support. Stella's friends, family, and fans continued their loving acceptance after her sudden and tragic passing. Stella Walsh ultimately set over 20 world records and won two Olympic medals. She was the first woman in modern history to become a superstar athlete, and despite all the xenophobia and sexism, nothing could dim Stella's love of racing.
SPEAKER_00: But now that you're too old for competition, do you still keep in condition anyway, Stella? No, I'm not too old for competition. Just last year, I had won the United States All-Around Pentathlon title, and of course, I expect to defend it this year. And the interesting part about my competitors is that most of the contestants weren't even born when I was winning my first championship 25 years ago. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. All month, we're talking about Olympians. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Womanica Weekly. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopaedia Womanica. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow. Before you go, I wanna tell you about another show I think you'll like. Push Black, the largest nonprofit black media outlet in America has a podcast, Black History Year. Host Jay connects listeners to the stories, thinkers and activists left out of mainstream conversations and politics. The things that happened in history still affect us today, and the actions taken today will go down in history. Black History Year is available wherever you get your podcasts. Check it out.
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