In a bold act of self-defense, a female New York University softball player punched a man who groped her while she was jogging in Chelsea. Despite breaking her hand during the incident, the athlete managed to fend off her attacker and get away. The sophomore first baseman, 19 years old and originally from Iowa, has been struggling emotionally since the assault, but is proud of standing up for herself and finding strength through sharing her experience on TikTok.
The incident took place on September 19th, when the student was running at around 4:30 p.m. near 20th Street and Eighth Avenue, a path she had been using almost daily since moving to New York from Bettendorf a year ago. As she crossed the street, the man reached out for her and grabbed her chest. Fueled by adrenaline and the need to protect herself, she decided to fight back, hitting him twice in the jaw before he collapsed and she was able to escape.
At first, she didn’t realize the extent of her injury, as Toby Keith’s “Should Have Been a Cowboy” was playing loudly in her AirPods. However, she soon discovered that her right hand was throbbing and had multiple cuts on the knuckles. After calling her father for advice, she sought medical attention at an urgent care facility, where two bone bruises and a hairline fracture were found. Her hand is now in a splint, and although she’s proud of her actions, she’s struggling with anxiety and sleeplessness since the attack.
On one occasion, simply seeing a man step towards her on the sidewalk triggered a panic attack that forced her to miss classes for the day. Despite her struggles, she has found solace in sharing her experience on TikTok, where she has gained support from other users who commend her bravery and encourage her to continue fighting back against sexual assault.
The athlete filed a police report following the incident and spoke with detectives from the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit. Though no arrests have been made yet, the NYPD remains committed to investigating and resolving cases of sexual assault and rape.
