Valentina Petrillo is gearing up to become the first out transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympic Games, and has noted that her participation “is an important symbol of inclusion”. The sprinter, 50, was chosen to represent Italy in Para-athletics at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and will compete in the women’s T12 classification for athletes with visual impairments. Petrillo, set to compete in the T12 200 and 400-metre sprints, has spoken out against critics who suggest that her involvement in the women’s categories is unfair.