Nikki Hiltz revealed on Wednesday that they underwent top surgery, a gender affirming procedure, last September to make their chest align with their gender identity.
In a lengthy social media post, Hiltz said the surgery occurred last September after the Paris Olympics and only close friends and family were aware.
“It’s been pretty special to keep this little secret to myself and my close friends and family for the past 11 months but I finally feel ready to share with the world,” Hiltz said in the beginning of the post.
Hiltz said they would often wear chest binding garments to present a flatter appearance but often did not feel like themself without the binder.
“Since September, I’ve been so happy in my body,” Hiltz said in the post. “I’ve obviously seen a difference in my chest but I’ve also noticed a change in my smile and posture too…”
The post also includes photos from the surgery day, shortly after and recently, along with a post-surgery video of Hiltz leaving a hospital.
Hiltz noted that sharing the news about the surgery was not about outside opinions or validations and they looked to disclose the information to highlight “something that so often gets policed and vilified when it comes to transgender people deciding what to do with their own bodies.”
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hiltz finish seventh in the women’s 1,500m final.
They won the women’s 1,500m national title at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championship in Eugene, Oregon last Sunday in 4:03.15 after powering ahead of Sinclaire Johnson in the closing stages of the race. Hiltz will be among a stacked 1,500m field at world championships in Tokyo in September.
The procedure, sometimes known as top surgery, can refer to different surgical measures meant to remove breast tissue and cosmetically arranging the chest to conform with the person’s gender identity.
“I find myself holding my head just a little bit higher,” Hiltz said in the post. “It feels so similar to when I chopped off all my hair in 2018 or when I started using they/them pronouns in 2021.”
In an episode of the “Ali On The Run” podcast that was broadcast on Wednesday, Hiltz touched on Sunday’s win in the 1,500m final, but discussed the decision to wait 11 months to reveal the surgery.
“I drove down to Phoenix and got this surgery that I’ve been wanting for so long. I was a whole journey,” Hiltz said. “I kinda think I just learned a lot from when I came out in 2021 — that I think I came out a little early. I don’t think I was ready for it.”
Later in the show, Hiltz noted that the lessons of coming out about their gender identity were key indicators of how to handle this recent announcement.
“I think I wish I had sat with it myself a little bit longer and then shared with the world,” Hiltz said. “So I’m really proud of myself for just learning from that and growing. And each month I’ve felt a little better and better about myself and my body. Now it’s 11 months later and I’m ready to share.”
