Kayla found an escape route in basketball in her teens

The young woman thought about ending her life by feeling misunderstood

When she was 6 years old, Kayla Ward already knew she was a girl, even though her birth sex did not match how she felt. Now, after 30 years ignoring her feelings, Kayla wants to become the first trans woman to succeed in the United States’ professional women’s basketball league.

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“I spent the first 30 years of my life running away from myself and towards what society expected of me. Religion told me that those feelings were wrong and my abusive stepfather would have beaten me, so it was safer to ignore it and bury those feelings deep inside me. Fortunately, I became obsessed with sports; particularly with basketball. I was always looking for ways to be on a court somewhere, ”Ward said in an interview.

Now the WNBA season is in limbo, but she’s still posting.  

Flip the Page to see her latest: 

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