“Obsessed (emotional emoji) (red heart emoji).” When Yared Nuguse, a fellow American track star, recently made his relationship with his boyfriend public, Nikki Hiltz was one of the first ones to react. They reposted Nuguse’s post on their story and gave a shoutout to the distance runner who had just come out as queer. Well, Hiltz has themself been out as transgender non-binary since 2021, the year they decided to go public. So yes, they have crossed that bridge, and they probably know that liberating feeling of being visibly queer. No wonder they stepped up in support of Nuguse! And now, not even days after, Hiltz has opened up on a special day, not for them, but for their entire community. Any guesses?

Well, Nikki Hiltz recently took to their social media to celebrate Trans Day of Visibility. In a string of Instagram stories, they opined their thoughts on the importance of this day for their community. They appear to be some of the strongest advocates of the idea that their visibility is their power. Well, Hiltz themselves have been open about their relationship with Emma Gee, who, as per them, is the “first out LGBTQ+ athlete at BYU.” So yes, both of them have been very vocal and have made an impact. This continued today as Hiltz got candid with a very personal message they shared with all.

On March 31, Nikki Hiltz added a story on their Instagram where they confessed why this day is so special to them. “4 years ago on trans day of visibility, I came out as trans non-binary. I finally had enough courage and strength as well as the right words to accurately articulate to the world what i had known to be true for my entire life- I was trans.” Yup, this only justifies why this day holds such a significant place in their journey! The outpouring of emotions continued as they added, “I owe so much of my trans joy and self-acceptance these past 4 years to every single visible trans person that has come before me.”

In this journey of being a catalyst for the LGBTQ+ community, Nikki Hiltz truly values the role played by those who came out before them and instilled that courage in others that a life like theirs was possible. Hiltz hailed such role models as they wrote, “To be able to be seen and live authentically would not have been possible without their leadership, visibility, and strength (red heart emoji).”

But visibility alone is not enough, Nikki Hiltz added. Love, acceptance, and solidarity from people are just as important. Thus, the Pride5k fundraiser and Lululemon ambassador also listed a few ways that people could be better allies to the trans community in another Instagram story. The first is to correct people who get pronouns or names wrong. Donations or involvement in organizations that work to provide solutions to the trans community. Being more vocal about being an ally and simply caring about the trans people around one. This can go a long way, they feel.

Well, Nikki Niltz themselves have gone through a lot since they first decided to come out. In 2021, at the Olympic Trials, they thought maybe not making it past would be ideal. “I felt exhausted from explaining what nonbinary meant to the track and field community over and over again,” they wrote. But in 2024, that changed. In Paris, while Hiltz lined up for their first Olympics, the broadcaster got their pronouns correct in the commentary, and that made them visibly trans to 28 million people. Hiltz added the clip from that moment to another story and explained how visibility can be a powerful tool. And that confidence in Paris showed in their performance. In fact, it does to date.

Nikki Hiltz’s milestones on the track

It’s not easy being a 6x National Champion. But Nikki Hiltz has always been top-notch on the track. Let’s take the 2025 season as an example. On February 22 and 23, Hiltz brought the house down in Staten Island by taking home two USA indoor titles in the 1500m and the 3000m. The track and field athlete also secured a bronze in the indoor mile at the Millrose Games in the Mile Short Track on February 8. And their season openers at the BU Terrier Classic? Well, one more win in the 3000-meter distance.

But this isn’t just this year. In 2024, they may have ended 7th in the 1500m race in Paris, but they were the fastest to qualify for that spot in the American trials. They were also the USA indoor champion in the same distance that year and a world silver medalist. So yes, there has been an upward trend. While there is so much that goes behind an athlete’s success, for Nikki Hiltz, one unforgettable aspect is their joy. That’s their most powerful tool. And a whole lot of that comes with visibility. So indeed, every letter of Hiltz’s words as to why this day is so important for them rings true.