A former volleyball player, Payton McNabb, has condemned the upcoming Paris Olympics for allowing two boxers who failed gender eligibility tests to compete in the women's division. McNabb, now 19, was left partially paralysed after a transgender opponent spiked a volleyball, striking her with such force that it knocked her unconscious.
McNabb was just 17 when the incident occurred in September 2022. The ball, travelling at 70mph, hit her in the face, sending her crashing to the ground. She suffered a traumatic brain injury, concussion, partial paralysis on her right side, whiplash, and vision problems. This devastating injury ended her dreams of a volleyball scholarship and continues to affect her daily life.
"It's disgusting that these two boxers were cleared to fight women," McNabb told DailyMail.com. "There's a biological difference, and it's dangerous to have them competing together. It's morally wrong and evil."
McNabb expressed fear that women could suffer injuries worse than hers at the Olympics. "These women have worked so hard, trained tirelessly to get to the Olympics, only to be punched in the face by a dude," she said. "It used to be illegal for men to beat up women, and now people are putting it on TV and watching it. It's a weird reality we are living in."
The two boxers in question, Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-Ting of Taiwan, were banned from the Women's World Boxing Championships in March 2023 after failing gender eligibility tests. The International Boxing Association, which governs the championships, revealed that their genetic tests showed they had XY chromosomes, typical of men.
Despite this, the Paris Olympics organizers have allowed them to compete in the women's division, citing compliance with 'applicable medical regulations'.
McNabb's experience highlights the physical disparity between biological men and women, even after a transition. The incident, where she was struck by a ball hit with extraordinary force, demonstrates the potential risks to female athletes when competing against transgender athletes.
Numerous studies have confirmed that transgender women, even after hormone therapy, retain physical advantages. A major review in 2023 found that early exposure to testosterone gives trans women eight significant advantages, including greater muscle mass, bone density, lung capacity, and increased spatial awareness.
A 2021 British study further supported this, showing that transgender women retained a push-up, sit-up, and running speed advantage over biological women for up to two years after starting feminizing hormones.
Concerns over the safety of female athletes have escalated after video footage emerged of Imane Khelif landing powerful blows on Mexican boxer Brianda Tamara, who felt 'very out of her depth' during the match. Tamara suffered severe bruising and expressed gratitude for leaving the ring safely.
McNabb, who has become an ambassador for the Independent Women's Forum, is advocating for fairness in women's sport. Her testimony to the North Carolina legislature helped in passing an act prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
McNabb's story serves as a stark warning about the potential consequences of ignoring the fundamental physical differences between men and women in sports. She is fighting for the safety of her younger sister and future female athletes, hoping to prevent them from suffering the same devastating injuries.
