Former NCAA Swimmers Testify on Trauma from Lia Thomas' Presence in Locker Room

Former female NCAA swimmers, including Riley Gaines, shared their harrowing experiences of witnessing Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete, in the women's locker room during the 2022 NCAA Championships. They expressed discomfort, violated privacy, and demanded accountability from those responsible.

Atlanta, Georgia - Former NCAA female athletes took to the podium at the Georgia state Capitol to share their distressing experiences during the 2022 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships, where they had the unsettling encounter of sharing a locker room with Lia Thomas, a transgender woman competing on the women's team.

Former NCAA Swimmers Testify on Trauma from Lia Thomas' Presence in Locker Room

Riley Gaines, a former Kentucky swimmer, led the delegation of five former athletes, including Reka Gyorgy, Kylee Alons, Grace Countie, and Kaitlynn Wheeler. They recounted their emotions and discomfort at the championships, which they said were exacerbated by seeing Thomas in the women's locker room.

"We did not give our consent to be exploited and exposed to a 6-foot-4 fully naked man," Gaines asserted in her testimony, her voice choked with emotion. "That man walked into our women's locker room at [Georgia Tech] University and saw me undress down to full nudity."

Former NCAA Swimmers Testify on Trauma from Lia Thomas' Presence in Locker Room

Gaines expressed outrage that university officials did nothing to protect them from such an invasive situation and demanded accountability. "Why didn't you protect us?" she implored.

The female athletes were questioned at the hearing about possible solutions to address transgender inclusion in women's sports. Gaines urged the lawmakers to send a clear message that women deserve dignity, privacy, and safety in their sport.

Former NCAA Swimmers Testify on Trauma from Lia Thomas' Presence in Locker Room

"You're worthy of calling yourself a champion. You're worthy of privacy in areas of undressing. You're worthy of being safe in your sport. You're worthy of your dignity," Gaines stated. "You have the opportunity to send that message to young girls – to win across the state of Georgia but broader, across the United States."

Gaines also emphasized the need to hold accountable those who enabled what transpired at the 2022 NCAA Championships. Georgia Tech, the host institution, released a statement acknowledging their involvement as a venue but emphasized that the NCAA administrated the event.

"We have and will continue to cooperate with the committee," the statement read.

The testimonies of these former NCAA swimmers have sparked a heated debate on transgender inclusion in women's sports, highlighting the complex challenges presented by the issue. The Georgia Senate Special Committee on Protecting Women's Sports is tasked with examining the matter and making recommendations.