Former NCAA champion swimmer Riley Gaines has responded to accusations made against her by left-wing outlet Media Matters for America (MMfA), claiming that she used her tie with trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas to launch a career in right-wing media. Alyssa Tirrell, the author of the piece, argued that Gaines had traded her fifth-place finish in the 200-meter freestyle at the 2022 NCAA championships for a platform in conservative media.
In the article titled “Over a year after her last race against Lia Thomas, Riley Gaines has built a media career on the trans swimmer’s name,” Tirrell suggested that Gaines’ 29 appearances on various media platforms, totaling two hours and 38 minutes of airtime, somehow constituted a “media career.”
Gaines, however, dismissed these claims and clarified her intentions in an interview with The Daily Wire. She emphasized that she did not intend to pursue a media career but was committed to standing up for what she believes in. Gaines highlighted that her fifth-place finish in the country was a significant achievement and that her critics, who have never experienced such success, fail to understand its importance.
Moreover, Gaines stressed that her fight is not personal but is rooted in her dedication to championing the rights of female athletes. She expressed her determination to fight for equal opportunity, safety, and privacy for all women, regardless of their athletic abilities. Gaines emphasized that every young girl and woman is entitled to these rights, regardless of their level of competitiveness or skill.
“I’m not fighting this for personal reasons. This is never a battle I wanted or felt equipped for,” Gaines continued. “And I’m done competing. I’m not doing this for myself. I’m fighting this for the past female athletes who fought relentlessly for Title IX so I could benefit in the way I did. I’m fighting this for the present female athletes who have their voices effectively silenced by their universities and the media. I’m fighting this for the next generation of female athletes who don’t yet have a voice and don’t yet understand the implications of what this means for their opportunities.”
Addressing her critics, Gaines explained that she is not engaged in this battle for personal gain but rather to honor the legacy of past female athletes who fought for Title IX, to support present female athletes whose voices are often silenced, and to safeguard the future opportunities of the next generation of female athletes.
While Gaines had originally planned to pursue a career in dentistry and become an endodontist, she acknowledged that her fight for fairness in women’s sports has become a priority. She stated that she will not back down and emphasized the broader implications of this issue, asserting that it is about more than just women’s sports. According to Gaines, those seeking to control public opinion and discourse are attempting to dictate how individuals feel, think, and speak.
“I don’t see that happening anytime soon. So I’m sorry, but my critics are going to be stuck seeing my face and hearing my voice,” she said. “This is a battle I won’t give up on because I see what’s at stake if we do. Make no mistake, this is bigger than just fairness in women’s sports. They want to control how you feel, what you think, and what you say. Not on my watch.”
.@Riley_Gaines_ on Lia Thomas criticizing her advocacy for women: “This is a man mansplaining what it is to be a feminist” pic.twitter.com/DFa197bc2p
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 21, 2023
