“I wanted to be calm, relaxed, and confident that I belonged here… Maybe I didn’t get the outcome that I wanted, but I hit my goal of being calm, trying to stay low emotion, and float, follow, and relax — all of the words that I said to myself. I’m really proud of how I navigated that race.”

Please welcome back to the show – the one and only Nikki Hiltz. And what a year it’s been! Just a season after finishing seventh at the Paris Olympics, Nikki stepped onto the line at the World Championships in Tokyo and delivered the best outdoor global finish of their career: fifth in the 1500m. They ran 3:57.08, the top American in the final, and held their own in a race where Faith Kipyegon, Dorcus Ewoi, and Jessica Hull all ran sub-3:56 for medals.

Yes, it’s easy to get caught up in the medal talk that we pushed throughout the championships. That’s what we do as pundits to talk about the sport. But for Nikki, it wasn’t about the outcome as much as the process: staying calm, engaged, and believing in their plan lap after lap.

That mindset carried them to a performance that showed just how close they are to the world’s very best. Today, we talk about the lessons learned, the mantras that kept them grounded, and what it means to chase medals while staying true to the journey.

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Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠

Guest: Nikki Hiltz | @nikkihiltz on Instagram

Produced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Mentioned in this episode…

Listen: Sage Hurta After Finishing 5th In The World Championships 800m Final In 1:55.89 (Third-Fastest American Ever) | Tokyo 2025 Recap + Reflections

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