Later, in September 2020, Petrillo would participate in her first race as a transgender athlete in the Italian Paralympics Championship.
She took home gold in the T12 100-, 200-, and 400-meter competitions here. Petrillo, who is slightly shorter than 5′ 10″, is 13 pounds heavier than he was before to shifting in 2021.
Despite winning gold in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter T12 events at the national championships, Petrillo’s timings are slower than they were before to transitioning.
“It’s better to be a slow, happy woman than a fast, unhappy man,” Petrillo once told the BBC. I don’t believe that I’m stealing anything.
Additionally, the athlete has previously claimed having mood changes, feeling physically weaker, and anemia as adverse effects.
In 2020, Petrillo said, “I do not believe I have an advantage, but I understand the doubts.” “My performances have deteriorated severely.”
The Italian Disabled Sports Association declined to nominate Petrillo, who thought that this would lead to a spot in the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics.
Although it did not publicly explain its reasoning, the Telegraph said that the athlete’s fellow rivals had put a lot of pressure on it.
“We do not feel equal because Petrillo’s physical structure is male,” stated Cristina Sanulli, the runner-up in the 200-meter women’s race in Ancona in 2023, after Petrillo won. As a result, we are not operating at par.
“Even though Valentina’s personal path is admirable, it is not respectable from an athletic standpoint, and as a result, we feel discriminated against severely.”
