She’d never been beloved beyond Cleveland, along with zero relationships along with other runners or sportswriters
Since the TAC was in deliberations, Walsh is defended of the, of all the somebody, Helen Stephens. Rescinding Walsh’s medals “would be a beneficial dastardly thing to do,” told you Stephens, following 73. “I really don’t envision she is men; that’s simply my personal opinion. I really don’t envision she got any virtue.” She and additionally told you, “Possibly Stella Walsh had a beginning defect. I did not find it, and it also wasn’t their fault nevertheless.”
You will see Stephens’ support because high sportsmanship, determined because of the a feeling of fairness rather than payback within an excellent competition who was simply most likely complicit when you look at the accusing Stephens to be a man back in 1936. And it can was more comfortable for the lady as generous due to the fact, in lieu of Strike otherwise Andersen’s runners, Stephens never forgotten so you’re able to Walsh.
Shortly after Walsh arrive at the latest ceremony inside Western Virginia, accompanied by several lady, the former competitors was basically assigned resort rooms next to both, and Stephens (bunking together wife) told you she you certainly will listen to Walsh making love through the hotel wall space
But there are additional factors, and therefore just weren’t apparent until 2004, immediately following Stephens passed away along with her memoir try had written. Maybe Stephens sympathized with Walsh because she realized exactly how exhausting it were to live-in covering up. Due to the fact the lady biography shown, Stephens is actually an excellent closeted lesbian who, in Berlin Olympics, had an event that have a Italian language waiter. There is certainly so much more: at many years nine, she is raped into the good barn because of the an excellent sixteen-year-old relative, and a few decades later, she is actually molested by a lady teacher exactly who “i would ike to be the woman vagina,” as she thought to the girl biographer.
And Stephens’ memoir was not entirely sympathetic to Walsh. She recounted a story from 1975, when both women were inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame. (Based on the chronology, Walsh’s bedmate may have been Nancy Jo Dale.) In a letter she sent to a track and field official, Stephens recounted a story told to her by Walsh’s driver: “Stella was having sex with the other girl day & night, and Stella had male gender organs.” When the driver threatened to go to the police, Stella “knocked her down” and threatened to “‘get her’ when they returned to Cleveland.” Late in life, Walsh was coming unhinged.
“It absolutely was an awful problem,” claims a track certified who was simply at Hallway from Magnificence service, speaking into the standing off privacy. “Her [Walsh] without a doubt are lesbian, and you may a pal away from hers involved check out together, and they went on to find drunk and you will obnoxious. They written a little a scene. She is intimidating to check out the fresh new force having anything-I’m not sure just what, Really don’t-therefore we gave their currency commit family, and you may grabbed this lady towards the Greyhound bus station.”
Whether or not Stephens abstained regarding possibilities to reveal this information so you’re able to journalists shortly after Walsh’s autopsy, she made certain athletic officials understood. “We never did imagine ‘all of the are kosher’ having Stella,” she blogged in one single page. In another, she said, “ Stella should have been packing ‘a little something extra’ one gave the girl a little bit of an edge in the sports battle.” Stephens got successfully stayed closeted; whenever 
she died, the brand new Missouri banner travelled at half-mast from the capitol, in addition to governor hailed the girl successes. Conversely, Walsh is actually tucked amidst scandal, along with her latest hours, just like the she bled from good gunshot injury, was almost certainly laden up with worry whenever 69 years, the girl truth could be discovered.