BEND, Oregon, April 30, 2021 (LifeSiteNews) — The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has walked back its mask mandate for outdoor sports competitions after a high school track athlete, forced to wear a mask while running, collapsed just before crossing the finish line.
800 meter runner Maggie Williams, a student at Summit High School, collapsed just as she was approaching the finish line, crashing to the ground as she struggled to breathe through the cloth mask she was obliged to wear per state rules at the time.
Despite competing outdoors in the fresh air and engaging in strenuous activity, the OHA required athletes to wear face coverings. Williams explained she “was pushing so hard and everything went blurry and I just fell,” according to a Breitbart report. “But luckily I fell at the right spot and crossed the line with my head [when the time is taken],” she added, maintaining a sense of humor after the incident.
Williams’ coach, Dave Turnbull, expressed deep concerns with masking athletes at the time of Williams’ fall, which he said resulted from “complete oxygen debt.”
“This is what I am worried about, and I said this at the beginning of the season. You get a
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