 In 1927, she qualified for a place on the American Olympic team started by the Cleveland Press newspaper.However, Walasiewicz was not an American citizen and could not obtain citizenship under the age of 21, so she could not compete.The success of Halina Konopacka, a Polish athlete who won gold in the discus throw at the 1928 Summer Olympics, inspired Walasiewicz to join the local branch of Sokół, a Polish sports and patriotic organization active among the Polish diaspora.