A high school runner who was about to set a record collapsed at the finish line and blamed the outdoor mask mandate in her state for the tumble.
Maggie Williams, a junior at Summit High School in Bend, Oregon, was about to set a record in the 800 meter before she collapsed at the finish line due to a lack of oxygen from having to wear a mask while competing.
“I felt like I just wasn’t being able to get a full breath, and multiple times of that happening, not being able to get enough air, it just, I just felt super dizzy and then eventually passed out,” Williams told NewsChannel 21. “Clearly in the past this has never happened and then this race that I was wearing a mask, it did happen which I don’t think is a coincidence.”
Williams’ coach, echoed her thoughts that she didn’t pass out because of a “conditioning issue,” but that it was a “mask issue.”
“It was a different response than I’ve seen for kids that have collapsed to the track just because they were exhausted,” explained Dave Turnbull, the head coach for the track and field team at Summit HS. “She wasn’t sure where she was.”
“We were so fortunate this didn’t end up in a real serious injury with Maggie, but we shouldn’t gamble on the next one,” Turnbull said. (RELATED: Joy Reid Says That She Goes Jogging With Two Masks While Fully Vaccinated)
Williams and Turnbull reportedly called upon the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) to change the outdoor mask guidelines. OHA announced Monday that they update the mandate, and now under new guidelines, student-athletes can participate in non-contact sports without masks.