Henryk Chmielewski, born on 8 January 1914 in Łódź, is regarded as the most outstanding Polish boxer of the inter-war period. In 1938, he left for the United States to try his hand in the professional rings. In the USA, he was already known as Henry Chemel. His American debut, which took place on 20 June 1938 in Boston Garden against Charlie Ross , ended with an impressive victory by knockout, which "Przegląd Sportowy" described as "the best possible start to a professional career".

Chmielewski's sporting journey began in 1927 at the "Sokol" in Lodz, quickly moving from gymnastics to boxing. At the age of just fourteen, he made his debut in the Lodz district championships, where - despite a controversial verdict - he won after an extra bout. His talent developed rapidly. After taking up his post at Zakłady S.A.I.K. Poznański was able to train unhindered, and this resulted in his first title of Polish champion. And that at the age of sixteen. In the following years he won further gold medals: in 1933 and 1936 in the middleweight division, and made it to the national team. In inter-state matches he fought 16 fights, 12 of which he won.

His amateur career culminated in the 1936 Berlin Olympics . After excellent fights, especially in the quarter-finals against the tournament favourite, American Jimmy Clark, Henryk Chmielewski reached the semi-finals. However, a hand injury sustained in the gruelling bout prevented him from fighting for a medal. A year later, he won the European title in Milan, defeating, among others, Norwegian Henry Tiller, whom he had lost to earlier at the Olympics.

In January 1938, Chmielewski began preparations to go to the USA. The wrestler Stanislaw "Zbyszko" Cygankiewicz spoke highly of the fighter's talent, promising him a great future. Although in America he faced organisational problems and dishonesty of promoters, he was undefeated in the ring for his first 15 fights. Among others, he fought at Madison Square Garden and faced the legendary Jake LaMotta in 1942 , receiving ovations for his courage and spectacular style. In 1945, he was ranked as the fourth middleweight in the world. He ended his career in 1949 after 82 fights, 56 of which he won.

After retiring from boxing, he worked as a ship's mechanic and sailor, and later also tried to train young fighters. He settled in Canada and the USA, returning to Poland only to visit. He died on 15 November 1998 in Hollywood.