She Thought She Was Just Playing Volleyball – Then It Turned Into a Fight for Her Rights!

Payton McNabb once dreamed of playing college sports, but those dreams were shattered in an instant. At just 17, during a high school volleyball game, a powerful spike from a transgender opponent hit her head, leaving her with life-altering injuries. Now 19, McNabb is determined to share her story to protect other female athletes.

“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 said in the new documentary, Kill Shot: How Payton McNabb Turned Tragedy Into Triumph, created by the Independent Women’s Forum.

A Shocking Incident

In 2022, McNabb and her teammates at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, North Carolina, were aware of a transgender athlete on the opposing team. Yet, they felt silenced, unsure how to voice their concerns.

“We never thought we would ever be put in this position to begin with,” McNabb shared. “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.”

The game was ordinary until the spike—one that knocked McNabb unconscious for 30 seconds. As she was rushed off the court with a concussion, neck injury, and two black eyes, the game continued.

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

The Aftermath

The injuries went deeper than anyone initially realized. Diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury, brain bleed, partial paralysis, and permanent vision loss in her right eye, McNabb’s world was turned upside down. Her cognitive functions were impaired, and she suffered from relentless headaches and confusion.

“The guilt Payton’s father and I carry is heavy,” her mother, Pamela McNabb, said. “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.’”

Unable to finish her volleyball season or pursue college sports, McNabb faced depression. “I had the hopes and dreams of playing college softball,” she said. “But my injury set me back, and it didn’t end up working out.”

Turning Pain Into Advocacy

In April 2023, McNabb took a stand. Testifying at the North Carolina General Assembly, she supported the Fairness in Women’s Sports Bill, which later banned transgender athletes from female sports in the state.

“I was hesitant about it,” she admitted. “It’s not in my comfort zone, but I thought about this happening to my younger sister or, if I have kids one day, my daughter. I just cannot accept that.”

The documentary includes raw footage of her testimony and the fateful game. McNabb’s mother delivers a poignant message: “Pull your kid. Don’t play. It is not worth what has happened to her to happen to anybody else’s child.”

Ongoing Challenges

Now a marketing student at Western Carolina University, McNabb still feels the impact of her injuries. She endures chronic headaches, anxiety, and cognitive struggles that require extra tutoring.

“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 I used to or focus on what I need to learn.”

Despite these challenges, McNabb remains resolute.

“Every single person that fights for truth, people absolutely attack them, but it doesn’t bother me because I know what I’m saying is common sense,” she said. “It’s not about me. I’m in this for women and girls.”

McNabb’s story is a reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of standing up for what one believes in, even in the face of adversity. Her journey, documented in Kill Shot, is not just about a single incident but about creating lasting change for female athletes everywhere.