Ten members of the Roanoke College women’s swim team joined forces to advocate for fairness in sports, after a biological male swimmer attempted to join their team, similar to the controversial case of Lia Thomas in NCAA women’s swimming.
Joined by parents, supporters, and advocates Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlan (a former teammate of Lia Thomas), the ten team members became the first group of college teammates to collectively voice their concerns.
One after another, they approached the podium with a common message: they felt “demoralized” and let down by their Division III school when they learned that a biological male, whose identity remains confidential, would be competing alongside them, Fox News Digital reports.
Nineteen-year-old Kate Pearson, one of the team’s captains, expressed her disappointment, saying, “My feelings, our team’s feelings, and comfort were blatantly ignored, and only one athlete was prioritized,” OutKick reports.
✨Landmark day: Roanoke Swim Team stands unified in support of equal opportunities in sport for women & girls.
We are proud to share a stage with these inspiring young women in Virginia❣️
Watch them HERE https://t.co/cSc8deOd0p pic.twitter.com/mUmRQkTOKQ
— ICONS (@icons_women) October 5, 2023
Bailey Gallagher, the senior captain at 20 years old, shared a similar sentiment, highlighting the lack of support from the school. She revealed that they were repeatedly told to deal with the situation on their own, and the school even refused to provide information to their parents. The most disheartening revelation was that the school would prioritize one individual swimmer over their entire team if they chose not to swim in protest.
OutKick reached out to the school for comments but received no response, including messages sent to Roanoke College’s communications and public relations departments, Athletic Director Curtis Campbell, and women’s swim coach Brandon Ress.
Riley Gaines, host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls” podcast, emphasized the significance of the Roanoke College swim team’s stand. She noted that their situation mirrors what her teammates and competitors faced with Lia Thomas
