Rob Lucas is a filmmaker out of Akron. He's working on what he calls, "a small video documentary about the Polish-American athlete Stella Walsh." Here's his plea in his own words and how you can help:
Stella was born in Poland in 1911, but moved to Cleveland while she was still an infant. She became a world-class athlete, claiming numerous records as well as a gold medal in the 1932 Olympics and a silver in 1936. She lived in Cleveland for most of her life, coaching track, softball and basketball and was heavily involved with the Polish Falcons. Tragically, she was killed during a robbery attempt in 1980 outside of a store on Broadway Avenue near Slavic Village. After her death it was discovered that she was actually intergender, meaning that she had the reproductive organs of both sexes.Most of her relatives are deceased, but many of the young athletes she coached are still living in the Northeast Ohio area. I'm interested in telling Stella’s story and preserving her memory and tremendous achievements for Cleveland and its Polish community. Please contact me if you knew her, know someone who knew her or have photos or film/video footage of her.
