CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Payton McNabb, a former North Carolina high school athlete who was severely injured by a transgender opponent during a volleyball match in 2022, will be a special guest of President Donald Trump at Tuesday’s joint address to Congress. 

McNabb was severely injured when an opponent spiked a ball in her face. McNabb said she suffered a concussion, brain bleed and two black eyes during the incident. It also left her with a traumatic brain injury, which impacts her daily life as a student at Western Carolina University. The Independent Women’s Forum shared her story in the documentary, “Kill Shot: How Payton McNabb Turned Tragedy Into Triumph.” 

McNabb, who attended Hiwassee Dam High School in Murphy, was at the White House when Trump signed the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order. She told Fox News it was an “incredible honor” to be Trump’s guest representing North Carolina. 

“I know that President Trump really supports what we’ve been fighting for and what I’ve been advocating for for over two years now,” she said. “And he’s really big on getting men out of women’s sports and out of their spaces.”

Trump’s action was designed to prevent transgender women who were assigned male at birth from participating in women’s or girls’ sporting events. Both North Carolina and South Carolina have laws in place banning transgender students from playing sports in public schools and colleges. 

Trump is scheduled to address Congress at 9 p.m. ET. The speech will be livestreamed on WCNC+. 

The speech will take place in the U.S. House chamber. Larger than the Senate chamber, it can accommodate both House and Senate lawmakers as well as other officials who are typically invited to such events.