Meet Valentina Petrillo: The First Openly Transgender Athlete To Compete In Paralympics

Valentina Petrillo, an Italian sprinter and the first openly transgender Paralympic athlete, is set to compete in the 200m and 400m races at the Paris Paralympics. Petrillo, who has visually impaired, previously won bronze in both events at last year’s World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.

Before transitioning in 2019, Petrillo amassed eleven national titles in men’s competitions. She was diagnosed with Stargardt disease at the age of fourteen, leaving her with just 1/50th of normal vision. Despite the challenges, Petrillo first made her mark in futsal for the visually impaired before returning to athletics in her 40s.

In a recent statement, Petrillo expressed disbelief at her achievement and noted her focus on the upcoming Games, having narrowly missed the Tokyo Paralympics.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has welcomed Petrillo’s participation under the current World Para Athletics rules, which allow legally recognized women to compete.

However, IPC President Andrew Parsons has called for a unified approach to transgender policies in sports, amidst tightening regulations by various sports governing bodies.

While some critics argue that physical advantages from male puberty persist despite transitioning, LGBT+ advocacy groups assert that excluding transgender athletes is discriminatory and lacks sufficient scientific backing.

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