Nikki Hiltz, a transgender and nonbinary mid-distance runner, signed a partnership with lululemon yesterday as the brand’s newest ambassador and will wear the brand in their upcoming race. 

“I set out in the beginning of this year to find a sponsor who shared my same values when it came to community, authenticity, diversity and connection, a brand who understood that at the end of the day this sport is about so much more than just running fast. lululemon is that brand and I am so thrilled to be apart of such an incredible company,” they said in an Instagram post.

 

Hiltz actively pushes to create space for transgender athletes. In 2020, they founded Pride 5k, a race where all proceeds are donated to The Trevor Project, a non-profit suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ people.  

Hiltz came out as transgender on the International Trans Day of Visibility in 2021. They shared that they don’t identify with the gender assigned to them at birth and instead define their gender 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,” they shared to their followers. 

Hiltz is a six-time NCAA Division 1 All-American. They won gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in the 1500m. Hiltz will compete in the 2022 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championship this Saturday at 4:40 p.m. in the women’s 1500m final.