The pro-woman athletic brand XX-XY Athletics today released a new ad, Why Riley Fights, the latest installment in its “Why I Fight” campaign marking National Women and Girls in Sports Day.
Riley Gaines is the face of the movement to save women’s sports. A former competitive swimmer for the University of Kentucky, Gaines is a 12-time NCAA All-American.
“There’s only one voice that matters,” Gaines says in the video. “Hers.”
Riley Gaines, host of the new “The Riley Gaines Show” on OutKick, is a 12-time All-American swimmer and leading advocate for protecting women’s sports, safety, and single-sex spaces.
“Being brave doesn’t mean not having fear, but rather overcoming that fear to do the right, just and moral thing,” Gaines said.
Her path to advocacy began in 2022 after the NCAA cast her aside for the sake of a male swimmer at the NCAA Swimming Championships, sparking widespread debate over fairness in women's sports. Gaines, when she realized no one else would speak up for her, criticized the decision to allow males to compete in female categories. Today, she speaks to young women and girls across the country to inspire them to stand up in defense of their own sports.
Her efforts have drawn both praise and backlash, including threats, yet she remains undeterred, emphasizing the need to safeguard future generations of female athletes.
In September 2025, Riley welcomed her first child, a daughter. Motherhood has intensified her resolve; she now fights for women's rights not just as an athlete, but as a parent determined to ensure her daughter inherits a world where female achievements are protected and celebrated.
At 25, she exemplifies resilience, turning personal experiences into a broader crusade for equity in sports and women’s rights.
The Campaign
The first installment in the campaign is the story of athlete advocate and truthteller Jennifer Sey and her founding of the first and only pro-woman athletic brand.
Sey is a former National Champion gymnast, author, and Emmy-winning filmmaker who exposed abuse in gymnastics through her memoir “Chalked Up” and the Emmy award-winning documentary “Athlete A.”
"Little girls and young women are told to sit down, be quiet, and prioritize boys’ feelings over their own rights,” said Sey. “Screw that. That’s not how I’m raising my daughter. I started XX-XY Athletics because culture matters—and we ceded it to insane ideologues years ago. Even winning in court won’t be enough; laws alone won’t stop states from calling it ‘progress’ to steal girls’ opportunities, safety, and privacy. This isn’t progress—it’s a half-century backward. We need laws, yes, but more than that, we need to change the culture. We’ve ceded it to crazy for too long, and we’re taking it back so truth is cool again.”
The campaign is an invitation for the silent majority to join the brave women and girls standing up for fair competition.
This National Women and Girls in Sports Day, Sey is activating the brand’s more than 300 athlete ambassadors and affiliates to post why they stand up for women’s sports using the hashtags #SaveWomen’sSports #NGWSD #TheTruthFits.
Earlier this week, Sey surprised Washington high school students Frances Staudt, Ahnaleigh Wilson and Sadie Sullivan with the announcement they are the newest Courage Wins Champions. Read more.
