History of Riley Gaines in Timeline

Riley Gaines Barker is a former NCAA swimmer and current conservative political activist. She gained prominence as a 12-time All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky. Following her athletic career, Gaines became a vocal advocate against the inclusion of transgender women in women's sports, making it a central focus of her activism.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

April 21, 2000: Riley Gaines Born

On April 21, 2000, Riley Marie Gaines Barker was born. She is known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in women's sports.

Others born on this day/year

2016: Olympic Trials

In 2016, Riley Gaines was invited to the United States Olympic Trials event, but failed to qualify after placing 85th.

2017: TISCA Championship Winner

In 2017, as a junior at Station Camp High School, Riley Gaines won the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard freestyle at the TISCA High School Swim & Dive Championship in Knoxville.

2019: Joins Kentucky Swim Team

In 2019, Riley Gaines joined the University of Kentucky's swim team and made the All-SEC Freshman Team and the All-SEC Second Team.

2020: All-SEC Second Team

In 2020, Riley Gaines made the All-SEC Second Team.

2021: NCAA Championships

In 2021, Riley Gaines participated in the NCAA Women's Swimming & Diving Championships, coming seventh in the 200 freestyle race and winning a silver medal in the 4 × 200 yd freestyle relay and also made the All-SEC First Team that year.

March 2022: NCAA WD1 Championship

In March 2022, Riley Gaines achieved her highest-ranking individual event finish nationally, placing 5th in the NCAA WD1 Championship 200yds Freestyle Final.

March 2022: NCAA Freestyle Championship Tie

In March 2022, Riley Gaines tied for fifth place with Lia Thomas in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship, which was her final competitive event race. Thomas became the first openly trans woman champion in the NCAA women's division after winning the 500-yard freestyle.

April 2022: Lobbying State Representatives

In April 2022, Riley Gaines advocated against the inclusion of transgender women in women's sports by lobbying her state representatives to pass a law prohibiting transgender women from women's sports.

September 2022: TV Ad for Rand Paul

In September 2022, Riley Gaines supported the campaign of Republican US Senator Rand Paul by appearing in a TV ad for him, where she shared her criticism of trans women in women's sports.

2022: Graduation from University of Kentucky

In 2022, Riley Gaines graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in health sciences, originally planning to become a dentist.

2022: Marriage to Louis Barker

In 2022, Riley Gaines married University of Kentucky swimmer Louis Barker after dating for three years.

2022: SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

In 2022, Riley Gaines was the SEC Women's Swimming and Diving Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

January 2023: Political Appearances

By January 2023, Riley Gaines had participated in a small protest at the NCAA Convention, appeared in campaign advertisements for former US Senate candidate Herschel Walker, and spoken at a Donald Trump rally.

March 2023: Testimony at Texas Senate Committee

In March 2023, Riley Gaines was an invited speaker at a Texas Senate committee in support of legislation that would categorically prohibit transgender college athletes from competing in sports divisions that align with their gender identity.

April 2023: Visit to San Francisco State University

In April 2023, Riley Gaines visited San Francisco State University for a Turning Point USA event, speaking about her campaign against transgender athletes. After the event, protesters arrived, and Gaines was escorted to shelter in a classroom for three hours. She reported being physically struck twice during the protest.

June 2, 2023: Endorsement of Ron DeSantis

On June 2, 2023, Riley Gaines endorsed Republican Ron DeSantis in the 2024 US presidential election.

June 21, 2023: Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

On June 21, 2023, Riley Gaines appeared as a witness at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on safeguarding civil rights for LGBTQ Americans. She shared her experience competing with Lia Thomas and sharing a dressing room with her.

August 2023: Oklahoma Executive Order Signing

In August 2023, Riley Gaines, representing Independent Women's Voice (IWV), accompanied Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt as he signed an executive order based on IWV's model legislation, including provisions related to bathroom usage and defining sex.

November 2023: Activities Regarding Transgender Athletes

In November 2023, Riley Gaines confirmed working with FIDE to prevent transgender women from playing in women's chess, and testified to the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee about her experiences competing with Lia Thomas and on preventing trans women from competing in female sports in Ohio.

2023: Gaines for Girls Podcast

In 2023, Riley Gaines began hosting the weekly OutKick and Fox Nation podcast "Gaines for Girls".

2023: Locker Room Incident

In 2023, Riley Gaines stated that Lia Thomas shared locker room space with her while still intact with "male genitalia", this incident began her activism.

March 2024: Legal Case Against NCAA

In March 2024, Riley Gaines was one of 16 female student athletes who launched a legal case against the National Collegiate Athletic Association over the participation of transgender athletes in women's sports.

August 2024: Launch of Riley Gaines Center

In August 2024, Riley Gaines announced the launch of the "Riley Gaines Center" at the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

November 18, 2024: Vote for Trump

On November 18, 2024, Riley Gaines tweeted that she had voted for Donald Trump.

February 2025: HHS Guidance on Women's Health

In February 2025, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new webpage featuring videos with Riley Gaines talking about her role helping with Trump's Executive Order, which threatens to revoke federal funding from institutions that allow transgender girls to play on girls' teams.