Everything you need to know about trailblazing runner Nikki Hiltz as they qualify for Olympics
Everyone wants to know more about Nikki Hiltz who will be heading to the Paris Olympics after bagging a 1500m Olympic trial win. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
US elite runner Nikki Hiltz, who is trans non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, recently made the headlines after a 1500m win that qualified them for the Paris Olympics.
On 30 June, the American track star defended their national championship in a final 1500m race at the US Olympic Track and Field trials, with a record time of 3 minutes, 55.33 seconds.
They will now make their Olympic debut in Paris later this year, leaving many wanting to know more about who they are. This is their inspiring story so far.
Who is Nikki Hiltz?
Nikki Hiltz was born on 23 October in 1994. They are a trans non-binary American middle-distance runner who holds the American record in the mile. The 29-year-old is also the 2023 US 1500m champion, and this year they won a silver medal at the World Indoor Championships.
Hiltz is also a six-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 All-American and an Adidas runner.
On Instagram Hiltz lists their pronouns as they/them. They also highlight that they are a Lululemon ambassador and will be taking part in a Pride 5k run in October in aid of LGBTQ+ non-profits.
Nikki Hiltz came out as trans on Instagram
In 2021, Hiltz came out as trans in celebration of International Transgender Day of Visibility.
Sharing that they had been “openly gay for many years” they wrote: “Hi I’m Nikki and I’m transgender. That means I don’t identify with the gender I was assigned at birth.”
Hiltz added that the best way to describe their gender is “fluid”. They continued: “Sometimes I wake up feeling like a powerful queen and other days I wake up feeling as if I’m just a guy being a dude, and other times I identify outside of the gender binary entirely.”
Prior to coming out as trans non-binary Hiltz told their family they were gay in 2016. Hiltz told Women’s Running in 2020 that coming out felt like “a weight was lifted”.
What does trans non-binary mean?
The term transgender is inclusive of binary trans people (women and men who are trans), but also non-binary trans people like Hiltz. A non-binary person is someone who is not exclusively male or female. This includes people who have no binary gender at all, but also people who have some relationship to binary gender, such as some trans feminine and trans masculine people.
Trans Hub AU have a longer guide to trans identities here.
Does Nikki Hiltz have a partner?
Nikki Hiltz has been dating Emma Gee – the first out LGBTQ+ student athlete to compete for Brigham Young University, in Utah – since 2020.
On Instagram Hiltz frequently posts photos of them together, with a recent one showing them embracing each other following their win.
Gee also posted a photo of them hugging following Hiltz’s win and captioned it: “So many years in the making… what an incredible journey & performance. You belong anywhere you decide to be.”
A post by TrackTown USA shows the couple in coordinated outfits holding hands. The post is captioned “the power couple has arrived”.
Nikki Hiltz also spends time doing charity work in support of LGBTQ+ suicide prevention non-profit The Trevor Project. In 2020, they organised Virtual Pride 5k races and donated the proceeds to the charity.
You can read all of our 2024 Paris Olympics coverage here.
