About this episode

Rachael Culpepper interviews Riley Gaines Barker about the challenges Christian girls face in today's culture regarding womanhood and sports.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Rachael Culpepper

Guest: Riley Gaines Barker

Topics covered

• Christian girls
• women's sports
• identity
• courage
• leadership
• family

Keywords

• Christian girls
• women's sports
• identity
• courage
• leadership
• Riley Gaines
• American Heritage Girls

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Heritage Girls

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• Ep. 396 – SUMMER REPLAY: Fortifying Your Girl's Faith for Life · July 14, 2026 · 25 min
• Ep. 395 – Not Alone in the Battle: Faith, Prayer, and Girls' Mental Wellness with Dr. Natalie Atwell · July 11, 2026 · 31 min
• Ep. 394 - Parenting Through Spiritual Bondage · July 9, 2026 · 24 min

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