McLaughlin grew up in West Columbia, South Carolina in a conservative family that frequently tried to make her more masculine and sent her to conversion therapy. McLaughlin was not allowed to play sports until her junior year of high school, at which point she joined the cross-country team. In her final two years of high school, McLaughlin performed well enough to receive a scholarship to Newberry College, where she ran for two years before transferring to Winthrop University. While attending Winthrop, McLaughlin had her final conversation with her mother, who made clear she would rather her child die at war than live as her daughter.
