Riley Gaines

Riley Gaines is an American swimmer from Gallatin, Tennessee,[1] who competed for the University of Kentucky NCAA swim team. She was the 2022 Southeastern Conference Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.[2][3][4]

Riley Gaines
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Kentucky
Sports career
Websiterileygaines.com
SportSwimming

Early life

Gaines' parents were also active in sports. Her father, Brad Gaines, played football at Vanderbilt Unviersity and her mother, Telisha Gaines, played softball at Donelson Christian Academy and Austin Peay.[5] Gaines attended Station Camp High School in Gallatin, Tennessee.[6] As a junior, she won the 100-meter butterfly and 100-meter freestyle in the TISCA High School Swim & Dive Championship in Knoxville in 2017.[7]

College athletics

Gaines joined the University of Kentucky's swim team and made the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2019. She also made the All-SEC Second Team in 2019 and 2020. She participated in the 2021 NCAA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships, coming second in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay and seventh in the 200m freestyle race; she made the All-SEC First Team that year.[8]

In 2022, Gaines placed fifth while swimming for the University of Kentucky in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship. She tied with University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who was the first openly trans woman champion in the NCAA to compete in the women's division.

Political activism
See also: Transgender people in sports

Gaines campaigns against the inclusion of trans women in the women's division of sports, including lobbying her state representatives to pass a law that would prohibit transgender individuals from women's sports.[9][10][11] As part of her campaign, Gaines has participated in a small protest in January 2023 at the NCAA Convention, appeared in campaign advertisements for former US Senate candidate Herschel Walker, and spoken at a Donald Trump rally.[12] She also supported the campaign of US Senator Rand Paul by appearing in a TV ad for him, where she shared her criticism of trans women in women's sports.[13]

In April 2023, Gaines visited San Francisco State University for a Turning Point USA student chapter event and spoke publicly about her campaign against transgender athletes in women's sports.[14][15] After the event concluded, protesters arrived.[16][14] Gaines was escorted by law enforcement officers to shelter in a classroom.[16][14] After the event, Gaines said she had been physically struck twice by a person during the protest.[11][16]

References
  1. Bird, Darrel (2021-03-05). "Women athletes are crushing it at Kentucky, and nationally". 24/7 Sports. Archived from the original on 2021-03-05. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  2. "Riley Gaines Named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year". The Sports Ledger. Archived from the original on 2022-09-29. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  3. Vaught, Larry (2021-02-14). "Success nothing new for Riley Gaines but she would like to add SEC title this week". Your Sports Edge 2021. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  4. Vaught, Larry (2021-02-11). "Junior Riley Gaines expects UK to contend for title in unique SEC Championships". The State Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  5. Organ, Mike (2016-03-27). "Former Vanderbilt star careful not to pressure his kids". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  6. Brooks, Chris (2016-07-03). "Gaines has 'good experience' in trials". The Tennessean. pp. M.9. Archived from the original on 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  7. Michael, Murphy (2017-02-22). "Riley Gaines three-peats -- twice: Station Camp junior wins 100 free, 100 fly for third year in a row". The Tennessean. pp. M.4. ISSN 1053-6590.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) ProQuest 1870507109
  8. "2022 SEC Swimming & Diving Scholar-Athletes of the Year Announced". SwimSwam. 2022-02-18. Archived from the original on 2022-12-10. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  9. Linder, Brian (2022-04-04). "Kentucky's Riley Gaines says NCAA needs to 'make changes' to rules that allowed transgender swimmer Lia Thomas to compete at national championships". PENN Live. Archived from the original on 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  10. McClanahan, Gil (2022-04-13). "Ky. Senate overrides veto of Fairness in Women's Sports Act; UK swimmer voices her opinion". WHCS FOX 11 Eyewitness News. Archived from the original on 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  11. Chen, Natasha; Mossburg, Cheri (2023-04-07). "Former college swimmer says she was assaulted at an event opposing the inclusion of trans women in women's sports". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  12. Foster, Matt (2023-01-13). "Protest over inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports held outside NCAA Convention". CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-03-16. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  13. Watkins, Morgan (2022-10-29). "Rand Paul campaign ad features former UK swimmer, slams transgender athletes, trans women". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  14. Hernandez, Adriana (2023-04-07). "Riley Gaines visit to SF State results in trans-rights activist protest". Golden Gate Xpress. Archived from the original on 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  15. Ross, Alexandra (2023-03-28). "'Spiritual warfare': Riley Gaines speaks against trans women in women's sports at on-campus event". The Pitt News. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  16. Regimbal, Alec (2023-04-07). "Anti-Lia Thomas activist whisked away by police amid protest at San Francisco State". SFGATE. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
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