Nikki Hiltz Just Keeps Winning

On Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor & Para National Championships, Nikki Hiltz won their fourth consecutive title in the Women’s Outdoor 1500m Run. With the victory, Hiltz has now won eight consecutive national titles across the indoor and outdoor 1500m, their specialty event.

It was a close race, ending in a photo finish. Hiltz claimed the title by a small margin of 0.04 seconds. Trailing as they rounded the final curve, Hiltz used their signature kick to accelerate to the win in the last moments of the race. 

Navigating The Pressure 

Hiltz continues to find success year after year, race after race, but what does this success feel like from the mental side? Hiltz shares that this great success does not come without immense pressure. 

“It’s so hard to defend one, it’s hard to defend two. Now going to this, I was the three-time defending champ. The weight just gets heavier and heavier and heavier,” Hiltz said post-race. 

3 Tips to Build Mental Resilience & Confidence Under Pressure 

So, how does Hiltz navigate this pressure and continue to find success? Preparation is key. The work that builds mental resilience and confidence happens long before the race itself. 

Here are some strategies Hiltz implements regularly to help support the mental side of performance under pressure: 

Talk with a Professional 

Hiltz is a big advocate for working with a professional to support mental health. They meet with their sports psychologist every week to talk not just about running, but all aspects of their identity. Hiltz reminds us of the importance of thinking of ourselves as whole people, not just athletes. 

Reflecting on discussions of their identity as a non-binary professional athlete, Hiltz told RUN following the 2024 Olympic Trials, “You bring it with you to the track. Whether or not it affects you during the race, it’s a part of you.” 

Positive Self-Talk & Affirmations

Through daily practices such as journaling, affirmations, and positive self-talk, Hiltz is able to build self-trust and confidence, something they can turn to at the most challenging parts of races to gain that last competitive edge. 

These practices don’t have to be complicated. Affirmations are go-to phrases that can be repeated to yourself to remind you of your strengths and values. They are especially helpful to remind ourselves of how capable and prepared we are during moments of pressure in competition. Some great go-to’s are: 

• “I am strong and capable”

• “My training has prepared me for this moment”

• “I focus only on what I can control”. 

"I just told myself, 'Fight, fight, fight, fight… It kind of came down to who wanted it more... in those final steps,” Hiltz shared following their Saturday win, offering insight into what their self-talk looked like during the most critical moments of their high-pressure win. 

Practice Gratitude

The momentum does not stop after the tape is broken. Hiltz shared how they use confidence from success on the track to continue to build up their mental resilience and confidence for future performances.

"I just try to remind myself how frigging cool it is that I've had eight [championships] in a row where I can wake up and say, 'My goal for today is to win a national championship… To have that... for four years, I'm so grateful. I tried to lean into that gratitude today,” Hiltz shared following their win. 

Practicing gratitude helps build confidence by reminding us of what we’ve accomplished. In the journal section of the VIS App, you can practice the habit of daily affirmations and gratitude to help build your toolkit for confidence and mental resilience under pressure. Hiltz's success shows that these skills can be practiced long before the starting gun goes off.