Nikki Hiltz is putting together one of the most impressive outdoor seasons.

Last month was an absolute triumph for Nikki, as they clinched the U.S. 1500m title, kicking to victory ahead of the likes of the 800m Olympic champion Athing Mu, U.S. Olympian Cory McGee and the reigning U.S. champion, Sinclaire Johnson. My interview with Nikki went viral after they dedicated the victory to the transgender community.

Now, Nikki is gearing up for their second career world championships. Back in 2019, in their very first season as a professional runner, they made it to the 1500m final. Since then, they've continued to progress and currently holding the U.S. titles in the indoor and outdoor 1500m, as well as the road mile.

Nikki took their momentum to Monaco, where they clocked a jaw-dropping 4:16.35, shattering Mary Slaney's American record that had stood tall since 1985. It was awesome to see so many national records fall in that race behind Faith Kipyegon’s world record.

In this conversation, we dive deep into their unforgettable performance at the U.S. Championship, that epic race in Monaco, and what they're looking forward to at the World Championships in Budapest next month.

Nikki is not only a phenomenal athlete but an incredible human being as well. Their passion and dedication shine on and off the track, making them an absolute joy to root for.

Host: Chris Chavez

Guest: Nikki Hiltz

Sign up for the Pride 5K here.

This year's race is fundraising for Point of Pride, a nonprofit organization that provides financial aid and direct support to trans folks in need of health and wellness care

NOTABLE QUOTES

What were those moments like where you're like, ‘I hope I did enough to earn a spot in the Oslo Diamond League’?

“I almost had really low expectations of like, ‘it's not going to happen. I'm not going to get in’... Then I saw my agent at the meet. He was like, ‘hey, you got in!'. And I don't think I've ever been happier… Also just having such low expectations–not going to do it, not going to get it–and then getting a lane, it was like, okay, I'm going to make the most of this. Let's take advantage of this opportunity because who knows if I'll ever get it again. I remember being on the starting line of Oslo just like ‘I'm so happy to be here!’.”

So then from Europe, how much confidence did that whole trip give you towards USAs? How are you feeling going into USAs this time around?

“I just had so much momentum coming back from Europe. You're on such a long flight back from Europe. I had a lot of time to think and process what just happened. I think I did four races and in all four of the races I learned something so different… Going into USAs I thought, ‘I'm in a really good spot. I can definitely be top three and I think I could win this race’, you know? More than anything, I think I was just coming back with a lot of confidence and my ability to just race people… Just confidence in my ability to do things that I've never really done before was huge.”

You also represent an entire community and it's an added component that you want to do really well for them. And you fed off of being that representation at USAs.

“Yeah, definitely. But I do it in a way that's motivating for me to do well. It's just basic psychology when you can think of yourself as bigger than just yourself. You're going to pull something out of you… It's just an opportunity to do something cool. And it's also cool because no matter what, at the end of the day if I have a good or bad race, my community is always going to be there for me and love me no matter what. So it's kind of reframing it as a really cool opportunity to get more eyeballs on the queer community.”

*On setting the American record in the mile:

“I think the only time I thought about that American record was that last 100m because I was like, ‘You have to beat Elise no matter what. If you guys are going fast enough and you’re not in front of her, she’s going to get it.’ I think I barely outleaned her and ended up getting sixth. The results took forever to load and come up on the screen but when they did it was such a party because everyone set their national record. Seven of us were out there stoked. At this event, everyone is so happy for everyone. It’s cool to see the camaraderie. We know that if one of us is going to do well, we’re all going to rise to that.”

It’s a sign of who Faith is when all of the competitors, even women that she's beaten for world championship and Olympic medals, are there to lift her up at the end and celebrate. So as one of the competitors in that race, can you speak to that?

“The people that think it's the coolest in the world are also the ones in the field because we train everyday. Our goal is to be the best in the world, so when you're in the presence of that it's hard not to be inspired and motivated… I think it's just this camaraderie and deep mutual respect because we know what it's like to train… At the end of the day, we–her competitors–are her biggest admirers because of that.”

A good friend of the podcast and past guest Mike Smith famously shared that once you remove thinking about the outcome, everything seems to get better. Now that it's been over a year of you working with Mike, how long did it take to adjust to that?

“I'm still learning. The outcomes are always going to be there and it's hard not to get caught up in it. Especially at USAs it’s top three… There's going to be a lot of noise and hype about who's going to be top three. But every time your mind wants to go there, go back to the process… I thought about that race so much before it even happened so when certain things were happening, it was like I had already been there… Saying I want to win is so out of my control. I can't do that. I can't do anything about that.

But saying I want to have the best last hundred, that's something I can visualize and practice feeling how I'm going to feel… It's been super helpful. And like you said, everyone here and in this group has really bought into that.”

How do you go about managing [negative comments]? You don't want to give it your energy and attention all the time. So for you, what is it that results in a response where you feel like, ‘alright, this one is important to address, I have something to say’?

“Trans people who choose to be seen in public and vocal are met with backlash and a ton of bullshit. I've heard it all at this point. Like there's not a single comment that someone can make that I haven't heard yet… I can sleep easy knowing my truth and honestly they look embarrassing–it looks like they don't know what they're talking about. Frankly, they're getting left behind.

There's more people that support and love me than there are that don't. I think that's taken me a few years to figure out. I think right when I came out I didn't know that or believe that. I was like, ‘alright, everyone hates me. The world's against me. I don't even want to be in the sport anymore’. But that's completely shifted and it's the other way now.”

You've got all this good juju going on right now. What are you hoping to turn that into for world champs? What would make a successful showing at the World Championships for you?

“A good race at worlds would be a race that I'm proud of. Maybe I do something I've never done before. Or maybe I have an epic last 300 instead of the 100. I think a race that I can walk away proud of is a race where I can compete for every single place. If I can't get first, try to get second… I just want to compete and beat as many people as possible. I think that's the goal.”

Listen to the episode on the CITIUS MAG Podcast feed. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other major podcast publishers.