Payton McNabb, HS Volleyball Player Severely Injured by Trans Opponent, to Attend Trump's Speech to Congress

Payton McNabb, a former high school girls’ volleyball player from North Carolina, who suffered severe injuries during a match against a transgender opponent, will be among the guests at President Donald Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday night. The invite highlights McNabb’s ongoing advocacy for the integrity of women's sports.

McNabb was injured during her junior year at Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, North Carolina. During a game, a spiked ball from a transgender opponent left her with a concussion, brain bleed, and permanent whiplash. In the aftermath, she also endured partial paralysis and vision problems, a harrowing ordeal that spurred her to become a voice for keeping women’s sports spaces exclusively for biological women.

Her activism even saw her present at a prior Trump event where he signed the "No Men in Women’s Sports" executive order. Speaking to Fox News ahead of the address, McNabb expressed her surprise and gratitude for being invited. "It's just such an incredible honor, and I'm so thankful," she said. "I know that President Trump really supports what we've been fighting for and what I've been advocating for over two years now."

She added that the invitation felt like a gesture from Trump to acknowledge her efforts and show solidarity. "I think this is just his way of letting us know that he sees us and he's with us. And I'm just so thankful for that," McNabb shared.

Although McNabb does not expect Trump to mention her story specifically during the address, she admitted it would be "insane" if he did. "I know that he's addressing a lot of important things. So, I'm not going to assume anything. But if he does, then I'm going to be so thankful and just really, really happy," she said.

Trump’s speech is expected to outline his domestic and foreign policy priorities, with the Department of Government Efficiency playing a prominent role in his agenda. The inclusion of McNabb in the audience subtly underscores his administration’s stance on the controversial topic of transgender athletes in women’s sports—a debate that remains as fiery as ever.