The experience that flipped Riley Gaines’ life ‘upside down’
Riley Gaines life was "flipped upside down" after she tied Lia Thomas in last years NCAA finals. She thought shed be in dental school but is a major voice trans athlete debate.
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, a leading figure in the battle to protect women from competing against biological men in female sports, joined OutKick, the company announced on Monday.
"I'm so excited to be partnering with Outkick to release my new podcast ‘Gaines for Girls,’" Gaines said.
Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, gained prominence for speaking out when she was forced to compete against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. She was also forced to share a locker room with Thomas and has since dedicated her energy to saving women’s sports.
Riley Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer, gained prominence for speaking out when she was forced to compete against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in 2022. (August 6, 2022. REUTERS/Go Nakamura)
The "Gaines for Girls" podcast will focus on protecting the gains that women have achieved in athletics in recent years, while encouraging and empowering other female athletes to use their voice in the name of fairness.
"The audience can expect open conversations from policy experts, world-renowned scientists, elite athletes, and others who have been affected by the cultural issues plaguing America," Gaines said. "OutKick is the ideal place to facilitate these conversations considering their understanding of sports and politics as well as their love for America and our freedoms. You can expect raw truth from ‘Gaines for Girls.’"
OutKick founder Clay Travis, also a staunch defender of women’s sports, has kept the issue at the forefront of the zeitgeist.
"OutKick is the foremost defender of truth in sports media today. Men who identify as women winning championships is patently absurd and only woke idiots at ESPN will defend it," Travis said. "I’m proud of Riley’s bravery in standing up for women against this absurdity and excited to have her as a part of the OutKick family."
RILEY GAINES 'AMBUSHED AND PHYSICALLY HIT' AFTER SAVING WOMEN'S SPORTS SPEECH AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE
Riley Gaines, a leading figure in the battle to protect women from competing against biological men in female sports, joined OutKick. (Fox News Digital)
Gaines will also regularly appear on OutKick programs including "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich," "Tomi Lahren is Fearless," and "Hot Mic with Chad Withrow & Jonathan Hutton."
Thomas’ participation in NCAA women’s swimming during the 2021-22 season sparked a growing debate over the fairness of transgender women competing against biological females. Thomas became the first transgender woman to win an Ivy League Championship and later an NCAA Championship in the 500 free. Gaines blasted ESPN in March when the Disney-owned network honored Thomas in its "Celebrating Women’s History Month" segment.
"Lia Thomas is not a brave, courageous woman who EARNED a national title," Gaines tweeted Sunday. "He is an arrogant, cheat who STOLE a national title from a hardworking, deserving woman. The @ncaa is responsible. If I was a woman working at ESPN, I would walk out. You're spineless @espn."
Earlier this year, Gaines was physically assaulted following a speech to students about saving women's sports at a Turning Point USA and Leadership Institute event on the campus. She shared footage showing her being rushed out of the venue by police officers amid an onslaught of verbal attacks from the detractors who surrounded her.
"The prisoners are running the asylum at SFSU...I was ambushed and physically hit twice by a man," Gaines wrote in the tweet. "This is proof that women need sex-protected spaces. Still only further assures me I'm doing something right. When they want you silent, speak louder."
SWIMMER RILEY GAINES SLAMS ESPN FOR LIA THOMAS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH SEGMENT
"Gaines For Girls" will be available on OutKick.com/shows and all major providers and distributors where podcasts are available. The first episode is expected to be released on July 12.
Fox News and OutKick share common ownership.
Fox News' Kyle Morris and Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.