Wanda Dubieńska

Wanda Dubieńska was a Polish sportsperson who was the first woman to represent Poland at the Olympics. Dubieńska was the daughter of Julian Nowak who served as the ninth Prime Minister of Poland. She graduated from university in musicology and veterinary medicine, spoke fluent French and German and also played the piano.

Dubieńska was described as one of the most versatile sportswomen during the interwar period. She competed in multiple sports including tennis cross-country skiing and fencing, becoming a national champion in all three. In cross-country skiing Dubieńska won the Polish championship in the 10 km event in 1924. As a tennis player she became a two-time national champion, first in the mixed doubles in 1927 and in the doubles in 1933. Dubieńska also finished runner-up on nine occasions including six times in singles competition. As a fencer Dubieńska competed in the individual foil event at the 1924 Paris Olympics but finished last in her pool with no wins and five defeats. However, five years later she became the national champion.

During the Nazi occupation of Poland in World War II, Dubieńska lived in Krákow working in the production of vaccinations and later as a lab technician. After the war ended Dubieńska continued where she left off at university and worked as a veterinarian.