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The transgender skateboarder, 29, who claimed first prize in a New York City women’s competition this weekend, defeating her 13-year-old and 10-year-old competitors, is a divorced, ex-Navy father-of-three who was rejected from the women’s Olympic qualifiers last year because her testosterone levels were too high.
Ricci And Tres, 29, beat 13-year-old Shiloh Catori to claim first prize at The Boardr street skating contest at the Lower East Side Coleman skatepark in New York City on Saturday, taking home $500.
The competition was open to all ages and abilities, but its heats and finals were segregated by gender.
Tween Shiloh, who won the event last year, insists she is ‘not at all upset’ by the result and says Ricci should be able to compete.
However others, including fellow skater Taylor Silverman, say it’s unfair that they have to compete against someone who developed as a man, making them taller and stronger than their competitors.
Now, DailyMail.com can reveal that Tres tried to enter the Women’s Street USA Skateboarding National Championships in a bid to qualify for the Olympics, but that she was rejected.
Richard Batres was how transgender skateboarder Ricci Tres identified before she began identifying as a woman and taking hormones. Batres is shown above
Ricci Tres, 29, who is trans won the women’s division of The Boardr Open in New York City taking home a $500 prize for a first place win
Of the six competitors, four were under the age of 17, the youngest being 10. Taylor Silverman described the winner as ‘male’ despite Ricci Tres identifying as a trans woman
She took hormones, but found afterwards she still has too much testosterone in her body to meet the requirements of the International Olympic Committee.
Tres was born Richard Batres and before she began taking hormones – which she says is the ‘extent of her transition’ – she served four years in the US Navy as a machinist petty officer of the 2nd class.
As Batres, she married wife Hannah and the pair welcomed three children, the youngest of which is still a toddler.
Ricci and her ex-wife are now divorced but as of last year, they were still living together and co-parenting in Los Angeles.
Her three kids call her ‘mom’ and tell her she is ‘pretty’, she revealed in an interview last year.
‘I am 28, I have three kids, I’m married, I did my time in the military, I own a company. I’ve decided that I like being pretty and cute.
‘So everything that goes with that is female. I love female bodies. I think it’s a work of art.
Richard Batres served as a Petty Officer 2nd Class in the US Navy on the USS Abraham Lincoln
Batres with ex-wife Hannah. The pair have three children together and live in L.A.
Batres with estranged wife Hannah. In an interview, she told how she came out to her wife after their three kids were born
Ricci says her three kids now call her ‘mom’ and have accepted that she is female
Ricci shared the photos of her past as a male and with her three kids in an interview with USA Skateboarding
Ricci’s ex-wife Hannah (left) has not commented publicly on her transition. Ricci, formerly Richard, is shown right with the couple’s two sons
‘I know I will never be a woman, because women are miraculous, they have babies and create life and do all that awesome stuff. I’ll never have that ability but I feel like I am a woman.
‘I would have wished to be born one so I’ll try to fill that image as much as I can for myself and that pretty much involves being as cute as can be,’ she said.
The company she was referring to is Modern Estates, an L.A.-based construction company she runs with her ex-wife.
Her Guatemalan parents, however, are less accepting. In a video shared with USA Skateboarding, Ricci’s father screams in Spanish, mocking her: ‘I can’t do anything because I’m a woman?! F**k you!’
In an accompanying interview, Ricci told USA Skateboarding’s Robert Brink that she does not think she – or any other transgender athlete – should have to take more hormones to meet gender category requirements because it ‘mutilates’ their bodies.
Ricci’s Guatemalan father, however, is not accepting of her new gender. She shared this video of her father yelling at her with USA Skateboarding
‘You can’t ask an elite professional athlete to compromise their health. Besides the fact that I’ve explained transitioning as a sense of enlightenment has nothing to do with your testosterone level. It’s a matter of decision and feelings. And you’ve finally decided to be you,’ she said.
She shared a gallery of photographs of her as a man, serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln, and posing with her then-pregnant ex-wife.
It’s unclear when exactly she began taking the hormones but she says that is the ‘extent’ of her transition.
‘My doctor has asked me how I feel and if I want to step up my dosage. I’m content.
‘I’m like really happy with where I am. It wasn’t until this whole Olympic standard thing where I had to reconsider where I was going with it all.’
The International Olympic Committee has not weighed in on Ricci’s comments, and Team USA did not respond to inquiries on Monday.
Taylor Silverman, another skateboarder, said she has been beaten by transgender competition in the past, and doesn’t believe that it’s fair.
On Monday afternoon, Ricci uploaded a video telling fans not to ‘stress over what others are saying’ and to ignore animosity. She was attending Pride events in NYC
‘I have been skateboarding for eleven years and competing for several years. I have been in three different contests with trans women, two of which I placed second. At the last contest series I did for Red Bull, I placed second.
The trans competitor who won took $1000 dollars in qualifiers, $3000 in finals and $1000 in best trick. This totaled to $5000 prize money meant for the female athletes.
Tres beat 13-year-old Shiloh Catori from Florida who came in second place. Shiloh says she is not upset ‘at all’
‘I took $1,000 in qualifiers and $1750 for second place, so $2750 in total.
‘The girl who deserved $1000 for best trick took nothing along with whoever would have placed third. I am sick of being bullied into silence,’ she said in post earlier this month, before Ricci won The Boardr competition.
Shiloh Catori, the 13-year-old who was beaten out of the prize money at The Boardr competition, released an Instagram video on Monday saying she wasn’t upset ‘at all’ about Ricci’s participation.
‘I wanted to address everything that’s being going on. I don’t really have time right now because I’m trying to achieve my dreams of going to the Olympics.
‘I really appreciate everyone just trying to stick up for me, but I’m not upset at all. Like, at all. If anything, I’m really worried about how Ricci must be feeling. I really admire her courage.
‘I can’t imagine how awful this must feel to see all this hate from all these people.
‘Skateboarding is a wonderful sport – we accept and love everyone no matter how they choose to be identified.
‘We’re not judgmental people,’ she said.
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