Former NCAA swimmer turned conservative activist Riley Gaines speaks to a packed audience during a public lecture Tuesday at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Steubenville. (Photo by Stephanie Elverd)

STEUBENVILLE — Franciscan University of Steubenville hosted former collegiate swimmer and conservative activist Riley Gaines on Tuesday evening for a public lecture addressing women’s sports, fairness and what organizers described as “cultural courage.”

The event, sponsored by the university’s chapter of Turning Point USA, was held at 7 p.m. in Christ the Teacher Hall at the Pope St. Paul VI Event Center and was free and open to the public. The lecture drew a standing-room-only audience.

Gaines, a 12-time NCAA All-American swimmer at the University of Kentucky, began speaking publicly in 2022 after competing at the NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, where she tied for fifth place in the 200-yard freestyle with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas.

Organizers said the lecture was part of Turning Point USA’s “Pick Up the Mic” initiative, a program that encourages direct dialogue between students and featured speakers on college campuses nationwide to honor the legacy of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a Utah campus in September.

During her remarks, Gaines reflected on the influence of Kirk, describing him as both a mentor and a friend.

“Not only was Charlie Kirk technically my boss at Turning Point, but more so he was a friend of mine — a mentor, really, to me,” Gaines said. “One of the most intellectual, articulate and effective minds of our time, influencing people like you and people like me. We all watched as he was prematurely taken from this earth, but I feel inspired and I feel hopeful and I feel encouraged seeing all of you.”

Gaines also noted the absence of counter-protesters at the event, which she said stood in contrast to her experiences on other campuses.

“What a blessing it is to be here,” she said. “This is not often the setting I find myself in. Most of the time when I go onto campuses across the country, they want to throw me off a bridge. So to be here with you guys, where I am well received, is deeply appreciated from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to all the staff and law enforcement that made this event a breeze.”

Since the end of her collegiate swimming career, Gaines has aligned with Turning Point USA and has testified before Congress and state legislatures on policies governing transgender participation in women’s sports. She has argued that maintaining sex-segregated competition is necessary to preserve fairness and opportunity for female athletes, frequently citing the intent of Title IX.

Her advocacy has drawn both strong support and criticism amid a broader national debate over gender identity, athletics and civil rights.

Addressing recent political developments, Gaines referenced actions taken by President Donald Trump.

“We’ve seen some wins, and Donald Trump is back in the Oval Office,” she said. “Day one, we saw executive orders being signed that pertain to this issue. He signed an executive order declaring there are only two sexes. I got to stand beside the president as he signed his executive order barring men from participating in any women’s sports within an educational program that receives federal funds. It was so cool.”

Gaines spoke at length about her swimming background, describing the sport as a lifelong commitment.

“I was an athlete. I was a swimmer,” she said. “I started swimming when I was 4 and graduated when I was 22, so I dedicated 18 years of my life to my sport.”

She said her experience competing against Thomas marked a turning point, particularly after officials awarded a single trophy following their tie.

“Not even one one-hundredth of a second separated us,” Gaines said. “The NCAA official said, ‘Great job you two, but we don’t account for ties and we only have one trophy, so we are going to give the trophy to her.’ [Thomas] takes the trophy home and you go home empty-handed. That was the moment I was unwilling to wait for someone else to fix it.”

Gaines said she initially believed governing bodies would recognize what she viewed as an obvious fairness issue.

“I thought the NCAA would see it how I saw it and how my teammates saw it and how my coaches saw it,” she said. “Nothing hateful about it. Nothing opinionated about it. Looking at the facts on paper in front of us — but lo and behold, the NCAA did not see it that way.”

In closing, Gaines urged students not to lose momentum amid recent victories.

“Don’t become complacent,” she said. “Success breeds complacency, but complacency breeds failure. It’s the enemy of growth and the enemy of progress — and the war on the woke has not yet been won.”

University officials said hosting the event reflects Franciscan University’s commitment to engaging contemporary cultural and public policy issues through the lens of faith and reason.

Gaines’ remarks come amid an ongoing national debate over transgender participation in women’s athletics, an issue that has prompted legal challenges, policy changes and protests on college campuses across the country. Supporters of restrictions on transgender athletes competing in women’s divisions argue such policies are necessary to protect competitive equity, safety and scholarship opportunities for female athletes. Opponents contend the restrictions discriminate against transgender individuals and conflict with broader civil rights protections.