A North Carolina high school athlete who still feels the effects of an injury suffered while competing against a male competing on a women’s volleyball team said Thursday that her life will never be what it was.
In September, Payton McNabb took a spike to the face from a player on the opposing team who, despite being a male, was allowed to play on a women’s team under North Carolina rules.
She told legislators that the force of the blow injured her severely.
Watch the clip of Payton McNabb getting spiked in the face by a male competing with the women. Then watch her testimony she gave today for the first time publicly. I was honored to stand alongside her in NC to continue the fight to protect women’s sports. pic.twitter.com/mvJmwprkaX
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) April 20, 2023
“I suffered from a concussion and neck injury that to this day I’m still recovering from,” she said.
“Other injuries I still suffer from today include impaired vision, paralysis on my right side, constant headaches, as well as anxiety and depression,” she said.
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“I was unable to play the rest of my last volleyball season, and although I am currently playing softball, I am not able to perform as well as I know I have in the past because of the injury,” McNabb said.
“My ability to learn, retain, comprehend has also been impaired, and I require accommodations at school for testing because of this. I could go on and on about how this incident has affected my life, but I’m not here for that.”
“I’m not here for me. Because for me, I know that my time playing is coming to an end. I am here for every biological female athlete behind me: my little sister, my cousins, my teammates,” McNabb continued.
“Allowing biological males to compete against biological females is dangerous. I may be the first to come before you with an injury, but if this doesn’t pass, I won’t be the last.”
According to WLOS, McNabb was speaking about a bill called the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act that has passed the state House and is awaiting action in the North Carolina Senate.
The bill requires athletes to only compete on teams that are of the sex they were born with.
She jabbed the North Carolina High School Athletic Association policy that allows transgenders to play, noting that it says it supports “a level playing field in a safe, competitive and friendly environment free of discrimination.”
“Clearly, that does not include biological female athletes,” she said.
WATCH: Payton McNabb got SPIKED in the face by a male competing with the women!!!
WE NEED TO KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN SPORTS!!!! pic.twitter.com/j3QVNmIGJ2
— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) April 20, 2023
“My ability to compete was taken from me. Having to play against biological males is not a level playing field, and it is most definitely not safe,” she said, according to WLOS.
“Due to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association policy allowing biological males to compete against biological females, my life has forever been changed,” she said.
As a result of her injury while playing for Hiwassee Dam High School, the Cherokee County School District said its teams would forfeit all further scheduled volleyball matches against the Highlands School rather than play against a team with a male, according to WLOS.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.