# Nancy Navalta

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{{Short description|Filipino track and field athlete and coach}}
{{use mdy|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name             = Nancy Navalta
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| nickname         = 
| nationality      = Filipino
| national_team    = <!-- only for the country represented in international competition -->
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| hometown         = [Pangasinan](/source/Pangasinan)
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| sport            = [Track and field](/source/Track_and_field)
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| event            = 100m, 200m
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'''Nancy Navalta''' is a Filipino retired track and field athlete and coach. She is known for being a prospect of the national team for her feats in the Palarong Pambansa in the 1990s. Her career ended in 1996, after she was found out to be [intersex](/source/intersex).

==Early life and education==
Hailing from the province of [Luna, La Union](/source/Luna%2C_La_Union),<ref name=nancyday>{{cite news |last1=Castillejo |first1=Dyan |author1-link=Dyan Castillejo |title=Nancy's day |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YTpNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0QoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6421%2C1792263 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=12 January 1995 |page=23}}</ref> Navalta was born [intersex](/source/intersex), was [assigned female at birth](/source/assigned_female_at_birth) and was raised as a girl.<ref name="lookback">{{cite news |title=Lookback on the fleeting career of sprinter Nancy Navalta |url=https://www.spin.ph/life/guide/a-lookback-on-gender-controversy-surrounding-nancy-navalta-a2437-20240806 |access-date=16 January 2026 |work=Sports Interactive Network Philippines |date=6 August 2024 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=AP>{{cite news |title=Gender Bender in Philippine Track |url=https://apnews.com/article/b47cbbc9752c0e1f475e5fea1f66f456 |access-date=8 June 2023 |work=AP News |agency=Associated Press |date=7 March 1996 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=A Gender Bender in the Philippines |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1996/02/21/a-gender-bender-in-the-philippines/12925d0f-40a5-4e56-8d93-8903ccbed25e/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Navalta is the eldest among six children. She was originally into volleyball, playing the sport in fourth grade but shifted to athletics after beating one of the best runners in her town.<ref name="stll">{{cite news |last1=Gomez |first1=Maria Congee |title=Still on track, Despite the heartaches |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9Fc1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=iCUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=725%2C26416180 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Sunday Inquirer Magazine |publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer |page=Q4}}</ref>

She helped her family in their livelihood by carrying rocks which she later attributes as the cause for her physique in the absence of prior formal training as a competitive athlete.<ref name=Palawan>{{cite news |last1=Miranda |first1=Romar |title=Pisikal na anyo, naging hadlang kay Nancy Navalta sa sports|trans-title=Physical appearance was an obstacle for Nancy Navalta in sports|url=https://palawan-news.com/pisikal-na-anyo-naging-hadlang-kay-nancy-navalta-sa-sports/ |access-date=8 June 2023 |work=Palawan News |publisher=Oasis Media Group Corp. |date=29 August 2019 |language=fil}}</ref>

Navalta studied at the Coseca Colleges in [San Fernando, La Union](/source/San_Fernando%2C_La_Union) and pursued a degree in criminology<ref name=second>{{cite news |title=Patafa seeks 2nd opinion on Navalta |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u2UVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ygoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6308%2C1328539 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=9 March 1995 |page=25}}</ref>

==Career==
Navalta started her sporting career at age 18. She started competing at the [Palarong Pambansa](/source/Palarong_Pambansa), the national games for student-athletes in the Philippines, in 1991. In that edition held in Iloilo, Navalta failed to win an event.<ref name=Palawan/>

Navalta featured in the next editions of the student games as well as the inaugural [Philippine National Games](/source/Philippine_National_Games) (PNG) in 1994.<ref name=second/><ref name=AP/>She won the 100-m dash event in the first PNG.<ref name=nancyday/> She also won the women's 100m and 200m events in the 1993 Palarong Pambansa in Isabela.<ref name="lookback"/>

She began to set records but question on her gender began to arise due to her having a "flat chest, muscled physique, and a wispy mustache".<ref name=Palawan/> Her feats made her a prospect for the national team and the "next [Lydia de Vega](/source/Lydia_de_Vega)".<ref name=AP/> She had her [sex verified](/source/Sex_verification_in_sports) in late 1994,<ref name=nancyday/> and a second one in March 1995.<ref name=second/> The results of the more recent test was never disclosed to the public to officials.<ref>https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/detail?itemid=a5213898747d5e1c8566abc358c8dcb4&mediatype=video</ref>

The [Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association](/source/Philippine_Athletics_Track_and_Field_Association) (PATAFA) bared Navalta from competing in the women's division from any local and international tournaments in the lead up to the 1996 Palarong Pambansa in [Soccsksargen](/source/Soccsksargen).<ref name="deepens">{{cite news |title=Navalta issue deepens |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kJ8VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1goEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6250%2C1479655 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=9 March 1996}}</ref> Majority of the 15 regions at the time threaten a boycott if Navalta would be allowed to do so.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cardona |first1=Aldrin |title=In wake of ban on Navalta: Palaro boycott looms |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zJROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1QoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4671%2C436084 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=3 April 1996 |page=20B}}</ref> [Ilocos](/source/Ilocos_Region) coach failed to convince her to compete in the men's division.<ref name="youandme">{{cite news |title=You and me against the world for Nancy, friend |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z5ROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1QoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3963%2C2316216 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=18 August 1996 |page=24}}</ref> She also attempted to join in the PNG of that year.<ref name="bunevacz">{{cite news |last1=Cardema |first1=Aldrin |title=Navalta, Bunevacz join Nat'l Games |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kJkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ggsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3212%2C1559531 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=10 May 1996 |page=20}}</ref>

She was named part of the Philippines' delegation for the [1996 Summer Olympics](/source/1996_Summer_Olympics) in Atlanta after attaining a qualifying time. However her career ended after she learned about her [intersex](/source/intersex) condition in 1996.<ref name=AP/><ref name=esquire>{{cite web |last1=De Guzman |first1=Nicai |title=Remembering Mona Sulaiman and Nancy Navalta, in the Wake of the Aprilia Manganang Controversy |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/lifestyle/mona-sulaiman-nancy-navalta-aprilia-manganang-a1729-20180904-lfrm |website=Esquire |access-date=8 June 2023 |date=4 September 2018}}</ref> She was quoted to have said that she had "strong [male hormones](/source/male_hormones)".<ref name="lookback"/>

Navalta recalled clocking 10.08 seconds during a trainings session for the women's 100m in [Baguio](/source/Baguio) which was faster than eventual 1996 Olympic gold medalist [Gail Devers](/source/Gail_Devers)' 10.94 seconds.<ref name="lookback"/>

==Post-retirement==
With the help of the Samson family, who owns the [University of Luzon](/source/University_of_Luzon) Navalta finished her criminology studies in the institution.<ref name=nancyday/> By the early 2000s, she was already a coach based in [La Union](/source/La_Union) and [Pangasinan](/source/Pangasinan).<ref name=esquire/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Cimatu |first1=Frank |title=Top 10 Ilocano athletes in history |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/palarong-pambansa/200362-top-10-ilocano-athletes-history/ |access-date=8 June 2023 |work=Rappler |date=16 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Caluag |first1=Randy |title=Nancy Navalta resurfaces |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jJ4VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6goEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6368%2C3112856 |access-date=1 June 2025 |work=Manila Standard |date=27 October 2000 |page=A7}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
Navalta's biography has been a subject of an episode of [ABS-CBN](/source/ABS-CBN)'s ''[Maalaala Mo Kaya](/source/Maalaala_Mo_Kaya)'' released in 2004.<ref name=mmk>{{cite news |title=Nancy Navalta story on MMK |url=https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2004/03/25/243861/nancy-navalta-story-mmk/ |access-date=8 June 2023 |work=The Philippine Star |date=25 March 2004}}</ref> In 2011, her life was featured in the documentary program ''[Tunay na Buhay](/source/Tunay_na_Buhay)'' in [GMA Network](/source/GMA_Network).<ref>{{cite news |title=Gino Antonio and Nancy Navalta |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/publicaffairs/tunaynabuhay/214289/gino-antonio-and-nancy-navalta/story/ |access-date=8 June 2023 |work=GMA News |date=2 March 2011 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Navalta, Nancy}}
Category:Intersex sportspeople
Category:Intersex women
Category:Filipino intersex people
Category:Filipino LGBTQ sportspeople
Category:Sportspeople from Pangasinan
Category:Filipino track and field coaches
Category:Filipino women sprinters
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Living people
Category:Sex verification in sports

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nancy Navalta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Navalta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Navalta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.