Former collegiate swimmer turned activist Riley Gaines made a stop on Duke University’s campus Wednesday.

The event, titled "The Fight is Far from Over" is part of her national tour on college campuses to campaign against the participation of transgender women in women’s sports.

A crowd of more than 70 people, including Duke student-athletes and community supporters were in attendance.

One attendee, Kaitlyn Roegner, said she felt motivated by Gaines’ courage to speak out on a divisive subject.

“I’m really with what Riley is doing and I wanted to support her,” Roegner said.

Gaines spoke exclusively with WRAL News about the purpose of the tour and selecting Duke as one of her 10 campuses.

“It’s been a mission of mine the past two years or so to get on college campuses to help mobilize and engage the youth,” Gaines said. “I think we’re a demographic left out of these important conversations.”

Gaines made headlines back in 2022 when she competed in the NCAA championships as a swimmer for the University of Kentucky. One of Gaines' competitors was Lia Thomas, a transgender woman at the University of Pennsylvania.

Gaines and Thomas tied for fifth place in the 200-yard NCAA freestyle championship, which was Gaines’ final event of her collegiate career. Thomas would ultimately become a national champion in the 500-yard freestyle. 

Thomas' participation in the sport drew controversy from conservatives, with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis saying his state would recognize the second-place finisher in the 500-yard freestyle as the "rightful winner."

It also led to a larger discussion of participation of trans athletes in sports, with some states banning trans athletes from competing in the gender the identify with.

Gaines reiterated that she doesn’t think transgender athletes should be completely banned from sports, as "that would be considered discrimination," but added they should play in the sport consistent with the gender they were assigned at birth.

"Male athletes can compete in the men's category, even those males who identify as women; female athletes, even those who identify as men can compete in the women's category," she said. "So long as, of course, there's no specifically in regards to women taking performance-enhancing drugs, as that's pretty regulated."

WRAL News asked Gaines how she would respond to Thomas if she had a chance to meet three years after the competition.

“Ultimately, Thomas isn't to blame. While, yes, of course, I do believe there was a sense of narcissism and an utter disregard for the women in that pool and in that locker room displayed by Thomas. Ultimately, Thomas was following the rules. It's the rules. It's the rules that I have a problem with. Not Thomas specifically or personally.” she said. 

Gaines’ appearance on Duke’s campus was met with backlash, with protesters posting signs outside the event that read "protect trans athletes" and "sports are for everyone."

A thread on Reddit featured users sharing their disapproval of her visit, with one claiming Gaines "made an entire right-wing political grifting career because she tied with a trans swimmer."

Protestors on campus didn’t want to speak on camera but used posters to advocate for trans athletes.

Gaines' appearance at the school comes one day after Republican lawmakers introduced a bill, SB516, that would limit the rights of transgender people in the state.

The proposal would codify definitions of sex to include only male and female descriptions and would prevent people from changing their gender on their birth certificates after they’ve had gender reassignment surgery.

The bill would also regulate which bathrooms transgender people would be allowed to use in some state buildings, a call back to HB2, known as the “Bathroom Bill.”

HB2 was passed in 2016 and brought swift backlash across the country, with businesses, athletic groups and entertainers boycotting the state as a result.

Gaines said she hopes the state can pass the bill, adding that President Donald Trump already signed an executive order declaring there are only two sexes.

“We’ve seen 15 states at this point ultimately codify this executive order into state statute. I believe North Carolina should be the 16th state to do so,” Gaines said.

The Fight is Far from Over tour continues with the next stop at Florida State University on March 28.