A girl who was injured on the volleyball court by a transgender “woman” athlete told a group of state lawmakers Tuesday that she is still both physically and mentally traumatized by the incident.
Payton McNabb, a senior at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, North Carolina, told lawmakers at a state hearing on fairness in sports that she has suffered since she was brutally struck in the face by a volleyball smashed toward her by a boy claiming to be a transgender girl on an opposing team last September.
“I suffered a concussion and neck injury that to this day I’m still recovering from,” McNabb said. The young woman also said she has impaired vision and partial paralysis on the right side of her body. On top of that, she suffers from anxiety and depression as a result of the injury.
The following day, the state legislature passed its Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, restricting athletes to playing only in categories corresponding to their birth gender.
“I was unable to play the rest of my last volleyball season, and although I am currently playing softball, I was not able to perform as well as I have in the past because of the injury,” McNabb added.
NC House passed the bill and it will go to Senate floor tomorrow. There were three democrats who voted with the GOP in favor of the bill👏🏼 It’s sad it takes a girl being permanently injured by a male to highlight why we need sex protected sports.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 20, 2023
“I am here for every biological female behind me. My little sister, my cousins, my teammates,” McNabb said. “Allowing biological males to compete against biological females is dangerous. I may be the first to come before you…but I won’t be the last.”
After her injury, her school team canceled all further games with the school that allowed the transgender player to join.
“I’ll never put a child in a position to be seriously injured,” Cherokee Board Member Joe Wood said at the time. “I think the odds (of injury) in these non-contact sports aren’t high. But in particular, in this meeting, a coach of 40 years said they’d never seen a hit like this. That was really what sealed the decision, at least on my part.”
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