Two teenagers from each of the 50 U.S. states, as well as several territories and tribal nations, are competing this week for a hefty scholarship fund in President Donald Trump’s “Patriot Games” as part of the U.S. government’s commemoration of the country’s 250th birthday.
The games consist of a series of physical challenges that are “designed to test strength, endurance, agility, teamwork, and perseverance,” the Freedom 250 website reads.
Participating athletes arrived at the campus of SPIRE Academy, a sports-focused boarding school in Geneva, Ohio, late last week and began competing on Sunday. The events will continue through the finale, which is set to take place at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, and a one-hour special recapping the event is then set to air on Thursday.
Trump is expected to attend the finale, according to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“President Trump looks forward to attending the Patriot Games in Ohio on Tuesday as we continue to celebrate 250 years of American greatness!” Leavitt posted on X.
The games follow a number of other semiquincentennial celebrations that have been organized by Freedom250, a nonprofit effort created by President Trump for the purpose, including a UFC fight on the White House lawn, a presidential State Fair on the National Mall, and the largest fireworks show in history on July 4th.
“This once-in-a-generation event will showcase the extraordinary talents that thrive across our country, proving to the world that the American competitive spirit is stronger and more vibrant than ever before,” Trump said in May of the Patriot Games.
Here’s what to know about the competition.
Who's competing?
A total of 120 student athletes ranging in age from 14 to 17 are competing in the games.
They are “representing America's great states and territories, alongside athletes from tribal nations,” in the competition, according to the Freedom 250 website.One boy and one girl were chosen from each of the 50 states to compete. The games also include athletes from some U.S. territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam; military bases; and tribal nations, though the event’s website does not specify which.
To be eligible to compete, each of the athletes is required to be a U.S. citizen; a resident of the state, territory, or tribal nation they are representing; and in good academic standing.
Applicants for the games submitted short videos explaining their desire to compete. A Patriot Games Selection Committee then reviewed the submissions and selected the final competitors for the games.
Tylee Herrmann, a 16-year-old from Arizona representing the Cherokee Nation, said that she wanted to “bring patriotism back to the U.S.” in her application video, according to CNN. “I think we need something to bring us all together, because we’re the United States of America, and we need to be a little more united,” she told the outlet.
Addalee Taflinger, another 16-year-old representing the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory located in the western Pacific Ocean north of Guam, told the Marianas Press that she was “shocked” to be accepted and wants to “bring awareness about Saipan, the typhoons, and all that we’ve been through and how we’re still able to go out and do cool things like this after.”
What are the events?
The events include a “Presidential Fitness Test, a military-inspired boot camp circuit, an obstacle course, and team competitions such as Kickball, Dodgeball, Tug of War, and Victory Hoops,” according to the Patriot Games website.
Qualifying rounds, along with kickball and dodgeball, took place on Sunday. On Monday, male and female competitors participated in a “varsity circuit” that strung together many sports: athletes had to throw footballs at targets, catch tennis balls out of the air, kick a soccer ball at a target, spike volleyballs over a net, hit wiffle balls with a bat, and sprint around a baseball diamond. Also on Monday, athletes competed in “operation endurance,” in which they had to maneuver through an obstacle course that involved army crawling, climbing nets, lifting heavy tires, monkey bars, and balance beams.
Tuesday’s events consist of tug of war; “victory hoops,” in which competitors shoot basketballs into an arcade-style hoop; the semifinal; and the final.
What's the prize for the winners?
One male winner and one female winner will each receive a $125,000 scholarship. Competitions are separated between male and female athletes.
How can you watch?
The games are being streamed live on ESPN from August 9-11.
The one-hour prime time special will air on ABC on August 13 at 9 p.m. ET.
