The issue of trans athletes competing in sport has remained, frustratingly, a heated debate. But Nikki Hiltz, a Team USA middle-distance runner, is sprinting through—quite literally—alllll that noise: On August 10, they became the first openly trans or nonbinary person to compete in the women’s 1,500-meter final, as USA Today reports, as well as in the Olympic final in an individual event, per Axios.
“I know I’m the first, but I’m definitely not the last,” Hiltz told USA Today. “So I hope I can make it a little bit easier for the next non-binary person to come after me.”
Of course, that first is just one history-making accolade in Hiltz’s winding list of impressive achievements—both on and off the track. Here’s everything you need to know about this running superstar.
1. Their Team USA Paris 2024 qualification race was record-setting.
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At the 2024 US Olympic Trials for track and field in Eugene, Oregon back in June, Hiltz, who’s 29, sped across the finish line in a meet-record time of 3:55:33—the second-fastest 1,500-meter time in the women’s race ever by an American. (In Paris, they finished the semifinal third in 3:56:17, and seventh in the final with a 3:56.38.)
In an emotional Instagram post, Hiltz noted that the Trials win was “a childhood dream” and that they were “overwhelmed by all the love and support” they received. The timing of the race was also particularly important for Hiltz. As they told NBC Sports, “This is bigger than just me. It’s the last day of Pride Month, and I wanted to run this one for my community. All the LGBTQ folks, you guys brought me home that last 100 (meters). I could just feel the love and support.”
2. The 1,500-meter isn’t the only running event they dominate in.
Hiltz, who is a Lululemon brand ambassador, won the 1,600-meter California state title in 2012 when they were in high school, and is a seven-time All-American track star from their time at the University of Arkansas. They also broke the American women’s record for the mile—4:16.35 seconds!—during the Monaco Diamond League back in 2023.
3. They came out on the International Transgender Day of Visibility in 2021.
On March 31, 2021—the International Transgender Day of Visibility—Hiltz took to Instagram to reveal some personal news “Hi I’m Nikki and I’m transgender. That means I don’t identify with the gender I was assigned at birth. The word I use currently to describe my gender is non-binary. The best way I can explain my gender is as fluid. 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. It’s complicated and complex and something I’m still trying to navigate myself, but I’ve decided it’s time to share my gender fluidity with you all.”