Riley Gaines was prepared for dental school, but became an accidental activist and remains determined.

Riley Gaines: From Athlete to Activist

Riley Gaines had big plans for her life: she was going to graduate from University of Kentucky, go on to dental school, become an endodontist, and ride off into the sunset with her husband and dog by her side. But all that changed when, at the last meet of an illustrious collegiate swimming career, she came face to face with a challenge that she knew was going to impact young female athletes for years to come unless someone — someone like her — stood up and said “no more.”

Athlete Turned Activist

Gaines never planned a life of activism. She came from a family of athletes — a father who played football professionally, a brother who played college football, and a sister who is a gymnast — so it was no surprise that she made a name for herself as an athlete as well. The pool was where she shined, and after years of training, she was ready to compete in the NCAA finals — wearing blue for University of Kentucky.

It was the final meet of her collegiate career, and even though she had been warned ahead of time that she would be competing against a biological male — trans-identifying University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas — she and the other women competing had apparently not been warned that Thomas would be granted full access to the women’s facilities during the competition.

The Fight for Fairness

Thomas, who was still biologically male in every way, was allowed access to the locker room while female competitors stripped down and struggled into their skintight racing suits. The women, Gaines said, felt uncomfortable and intimidated — but many were afraid to speak up for fear of backlash.

In the pool, Thomas tied Gaines for fifth place in the 200 freestyle — but when the time came for photos of the winners, the NCAA leadership insisted on having Thomas hold up the trophy for publicity purposes.

Gaines was incensed, calling the overall experience “disheartening” not because she didn’t get the trophy, but because she saw what the NCAA had been willing to do for the right kind of photo opportunity.

Gaines quickly realized that dental school would always be there, but the need for a loud voice defending women in sports was both immediate and urgent. Reflecting on the current state of affairs — the fact that biological males have been allowed into women’s spaces, often based on little more than self-identifying as transgender — Gaines said people have to realize it is not just about sports.

Advice for Young Girls

For now, Gaines says, she’s going to fight. “Now I boycott,” she said with a laugh. “My husband gets so sick of it, there are companies that I won’t go into. I have always been strong-willed but now I stand stronger than I did before.”

Gaines concluded with her own advice to young girls who were thinking about competing or who were already involved, saying, “Do not get discouraged, do not cave. It breaks my heart to have parents tell me that their middle school and high school-aged daughters don’t want to compete anymore because they either have direct experience [competing against biological males] or because they’re afraid it might happen.”

“To parents, I’d say protect your daughters,” she added. “And teach your sons masculinity. Teach them masculinity because then they will want to protect your daughters as well.”

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