Valentina Petrillo, a 50-year-old Italian, has become the first-ever transgender athlete at the Paralympics games, as she has qualified for the woman's T12 400m semi-finals at the Paralympics after defeating five female rivals.
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Italian Valentina Petrillo, a father-of-two who previously won 11 national titles in the men’s category as a married father, finished second in her heat in Paris but progressed as the sixth-fastest runner in a time of 58.35 seconds.
‘I don't want to hear about discrimination or prejudice against trans people. Many people die because they are trans. People are killed because they are trans. People are killed because they are trans. Because they lose their jobs. Because they don't play sports. I've done it. If I've done it, I'm really small. If I can do it, they can do it.
Petrillo will run in the semi-finals at Stade de France on Monday evening, with the medal race scheduled for Tuesday.
Who is Petrillo?
Valentina Petrillo is an Italian Paralympic athlete competing in the 100, 200, and 400 m T12 class. She was born in Naples on October 2, 1973. Petrillo started practicing athletics at a young age until a loss of sight at age 14, due to a diagnosis of Stargardt disease. At age 41, Petrillo was determined to get back into athletics, winning 11 national titles in the men's category.
Why was Petrillo allowed to participate?
In 2019, she started her gender transitioning process, and in 2020 she was able to realize her dream. Transgender women who transitioned after puberty were prohibited from participating in the female category at the international level by World Athletics last year. However, World Para Athletics (WPA) has not implemented the same ban.
“I began transitioning in 2019, and in 2020 I realized my dream, which was to race in the female category, to do the sport that I had always loved doing.”
What are the rules for trans athletes at the Paralympics?
World Athletics has a different policy from World Para Athletics (WPA). Transgender women are not allowed to compete in World Athletics female categories, but they are allowed to compete in World Para Athletics female categories. The WPA said that transgender athletes in its women's competitions are required to declare their gender identity for sporting purposes is female and provide evidence that their testosterone levels have been below 10 nanomoles per liter of blood for at least 12 months prior to the competition.
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