Ep. BONUS – Raising Strong Girls in a Culture That Erases Boundaries with Riley Gaines

How can Christian girls stand firm when culture challenges the very meaning of womanhood?  

Over the past several years, conversations surrounding women's sports, privacy, safety, and identity have moved from headlines into everyday life. For many girls and their families, these cultural shifts have raised  difficult questions  about fairness, courage, truth, and what it means to honor God's design for women.  

In this special  BONUS  episode recorded live at the 2026 TPUSA Women's Leadership Summit,  AHG Executive Director  Rachael Culpepper sits down with former collegiate swimmer, advocate, and  mother  Riley Gaines  Barker . After finding herself at the center of one of the most consequential debates in women's athletics, Riley chose to speak out in defense of women's sports and single-sex spaces—a decision that transformed her from student-athlete to one of the nation's most recognized voices on behalf of girls and women.  

Together, Rachael and Riley discuss the courage required to stand for conviction when the cost is high, the responsibility of leadership in a culture of competing narratives, and the challenges Christian girls face as they navigate sports, school environments, and questions surrounding identity. Riley also reflects on her own girlhood, shares lessons  she's  learning in the early years of marriage and  motherhood, and  offers encouragement to girls who  desire  to lead with both courage and grace.  

Whether  you're  raising an athlete, mentoring young women, or simply seeking wisdom for navigating today's cultural landscape, this conversation will remind you that truth is worth defending, courage is worth cultivating, and God's design is always worthy of trust.  

 

Scriptures Referenced:  

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