Woman speaks out after volleyball injury from trans opponent

Article content

A woman who was severely injured during a high school volleyball game in North Carolina two years ago after a ball was spiked at her head by a transgender opponent says her life has been changed forever.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Payton McNabb, who was 17 at the time she suffered brain and neck injuries in Sept. 2022, is featured in a new documentary by the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative non-profit.

The short documentary, called Kill Shot: How Payton McNabb Turned Tragedy Into Triumph, tells how she came within inches of losing her life.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Article content

Article content

“If my story can in any way help prevent this from happening to at least just one woman or girl, then it was all worth it,” McNabb told the New York Post.

McNabb said, entering the game, she and her teammates at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy knew there was a transgender player on the other side of the net, but felt helpless to bring up their concerns.

“We never thought we would ever be put in this position to begin with,” she said. “I didn’t know one person who agreed with (a transgender athlete competing against us) on my team, but we didn’t know what to do.”

Article content

Raw footage of the volleyball spike showed McNabb being squarely hit in the face by the ball. She fell to the floor and was unconscious for about 30 seconds. There was an immediate scream from one person before the gym went silent as teammates and school staff came to her aid.

“It was 100% avoidable, if only my rights as a female athlete had been more important than a man’s feelings,” she said.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play Video

Over the following weeks, McNabb said she was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, a brain bleed, partial paralysis and loss of peripheral vision on her right side. She also had to deal with memory loss, confusion and severe headaches.

The injuries affected her athletic pursuits.

“I had the hopes and dreams of playing college softball and I had the opportunities too, but my injury set me back and it didn’t end up working out,” she said. “I was really depressed.”

Article content

The documentary also features McNabb’s parents and sister, who have not publicly spoken about her injuries before.

“The guilt Payton’s father and I carry is heavy,” her mother, Pamela, told the paper. “At the time we weren’t allowed to speak up. We couldn’t say, ‘No, she’s not playing against a boy, it’s dangerous.’”

In April 2023, McNabb shared her story for the first time while testifying at the North Carolina General Assembly in support of legislation that would restrict transgender athletes from competing in female sports at the middle, high school and college levels. Soon after, the state passed the bill.

McNabb is attending Western Carolina University, but the injuries stemming from the volleyball spike has left her with continuing cognitive issues.

“I was always at the top of my class,” she said. “Learning had never been an issue before. But I still just can’t comprehend the way that I used to or focus on what I need to learn.”

Article content