[2] Her first international medal came in 2008 when she was the gold medallist in the shot put at the 2008 South American Youth Championships in Athletics.

[4][5] She began to focus on shot put in 2010 and threw a Brazilian junior record of 17.11 m. She came fifth at the South American Games and fourth at the Ibero-American Championships.

Arcanjo said that the substance had entered her system through a green tea that she had been taking, unbeknownst to her coach.

Brazil's sports court, Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva, overturned this decision on these grounds but upheld the warning due to the lack of enhancing impact that the substance would have on the athlete's performance.

Arcanjo had significantly improved when she returned to action in 2012, setting a series of personal bests on the Brazilian circuit.