Riley Gaines gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Margot, on Thursday night.
Gaines shared the news in a heartfelt social media post, posing with her newborn and husband Louis Barker. In the caption, Gaines said there was nothing that could have prepared her for the love she felt and thanked God for the blessing.
“There’s nothing that could’ve prepared me for a love like this. God has blessed us beyond belief. Welcome to the world, sweet Margot
🧸🩷,” Gaines wrote.
There’s nothing that could’ve prepared me for a love like this. God has blessed us beyond belief.
Welcome to the world, sweet Margot
🧸🩷 pic.twitter.com/G3CgsexKCF
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) October 3, 2025
Gaines remained active throughout her pregnancy. In July, she swam 1.25 miles in open water near Alcatraz Island while 31 weeks pregnant, according to Fox News. She completed the swim alongside U.S. Navy SEALs, combat veterans, and her husband, underscoring her reputation for mental toughness and physical endurance.
She first announced her pregnancy during a Turning Point USA event in Texas this past June.
Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer and host of OutKick’s “Gaines for Girls,” has emerged as one of the most prominent voices defending women’s sports against the participation of male-born athletes. Gaines began her advocacy after competing against Lia Thomas in the 2022 NCAA championships and has consistently argued that biological males retain unfair advantages over female athletes.
Gaines previously clashed with Simone Biles after the Olympic gymnast accused her of bullying transgender athletes and being a sore loser. Gaines defended her stance, saying that protecting women’s sports is about fairness and not exclusion.
In February, the Department of Education under President Donald Trump ordered the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations to revoke women’s titles and records held by transgender athletes like Thomas. The directive followed Trump’s executive order banning biological men from competing in women’s sports at both the high school and collegiate levels. After the order took effect, the NCAA revised its policy to align with the new restrictions.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/CSPAN)
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