American High School Star Athletes Compete In Inaugural Patriot Games
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2026 has been a special year for Americans, with the celebration of 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence elevating a sense of patriotism across the nation.
The year has also seen significant cultural moments that Americans could rally together for, including the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games, which saw the United States take home 33 medals (12 of which were gold); the NASA Artemis II mission, which saw three Americans and one Canadian go the furthest into space of any human in history; and the FIFA World Cup, which was hosted by North America and saw the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team make it to Round 16.
On Sunday, Aug. 9, a new event for Americans to enjoy began: The 2026 Patriot Games.
Running through Aug. 11, the games were livestreamed on the ESPN App, with 120 of America’s top high school athletes competing for a massive scholarship prize.
These students represented all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories, tribal nations, and military bases.
Tonight, at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, ABC will broadcast a televised one-hour special showing the highlights and winners of the inaugural Patriot Games.
Watch the White House’s teaser trailer for the Patriot Games finale, here:
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What Are The Patriot Games?
According to the White House, the Patriot Games are “a nationally televised first-of-its-kind youth athletics competition featuring athletes from all 50 states.”
From Aug. 9 to Aug. 11, “America’s next generation of leaders, competitors, and champions will take center stage … at the 2026 Patriot Games, a national athletic competition celebrating the character, determination, and excellence that define the American spirit,” the Freedom 250 website reads.
According to ESPN, The Patriot Games included “rounds that test excellence in skillsets of beloved American sports, including elements from football, basketball, soccer, track and more,” testing individual athleticism, with competitors showcasing their mastery of skills from the Presidential Fitness Test, in addition to going through “a military-inspired boot camp circuit.”
Finalists went on to “compete in an obstacle course designed to test strategy and skill,” ESPN notes.
Thanks to the ABC one-hour broadcast event at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13, everyone will get to see these top high school athletes compete.
Led by HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been pushing for Americans to get active and eat real food — in keeping with his Make America Healthy Again movement — this competition featured individual and team events, with 120 student athletes between the ages of 14 and 17 participating.
The grand prize is a $125,000 scholarship to the top male competitor, and a $125,000 scholarship to the top female competitor.
“After three days of fierce competition, only eight athletes remain. The nation’s top high school athletes take the field one final time in the 2026 Patriot Games Finale, where one male and one female competitor will be crowned the inaugural 2026 Patriot Games champions.”
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Who Won The Patriot Games?
In the evening of Aug. 11, the winners of the Patriot Games were announced, with the top male and female athletes each recognized with a $125,000 scholarship.
President Donald Trump was in attendance, joined by sports commentator Pat McAfee, arriving onstage with the competitors in an Olympic-like procession that can be seen, here:
🔥 BREAKING: President Trump just WALKED OUT to a ROARING crowd at the 2026 Patriot Games final in Ohio, followed by young athletes behind him
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 11, 2026
This is EPIC!
These young patriots love their president 🇺🇸
They will NEVER forget that 47 was here to watch them 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/fFzNCkEdCm
Trump was onstage with the winners as they were announced, shaking their hands as they received their scholarship prize.
The top female athlete was Kennadi Fuhrman, a senior soccer player at De Soto High School in Kansas.
The top male athlete was Rockwell Myers, a competitive rock climber and ballroom dancer at the Utah Military Academy in Utah.
Watch the winners get announced, here:
Your 2026 Patriot Games champions — Kennadi Fuhrman of Kansas and Rockwell Myers of Utah! 🥇🇺🇸
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 12, 2026
CONGRATS TO THESE GREAT YOUNG PATRIOTS! pic.twitter.com/m1TrxeQN98
Watch some of the students who competed in the Patriot Games speak about the opportunity, here:
Schedule For The Events, And How To Watch
Held at the Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio, from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11, the Patriot Games were available to stream live through the ESPN App.
Detailing its coverage, ESPN stated that it had live commentary for the events, noting:
“ESPN’s live coverage will be anchored by Laura Rutledge, Matt Barrie, Beth Mowins and Tom Hart, with analysts Jordan Rodgers, Sean Farnham, Ron Slay and Danielle Lawrie. Reporters will be Brooke Weisbrod and Marion Crowder.”
The event schedule for Sunday, Aug. 9, was as follows:
- 9 a.m. – Boys Presidential Qualifier
- 1 p.m. – Girls Presidential Qualifier
- 5:30 p.m. – Boys Kickball
- 5:30 p.m. – Girls Dodgeball
- 6:30 p.m. – Boys Dodgeball
- 6:30 p.m. – Girls Kickball
The livestream schedule for Monday, Aug. 10, was:
- 11 a.m. – Girls Varsity Circuit
- 11 a.m. – Boys Operation Endurance
- 2:45 p.m. – Boys Varsity Circuit
- 2:45 p.m. – Girls Operation Endurance
The livestream schedule for Tuesday, Aug. 11, was:
- 10:30 a.m. – Tug-of-War (Boys & Girls)
- 11:30 a.m. – Victory Hoops (Boys & Girls)
- 7 p.m. – Semifinal, Final & Closing
A one-hour broadcast television event compiling the highlights from the Patriot Games will air on ABC at 9 p.m. EST on Thursday, Aug. 13.
Watch President Donald Trump‘s video statement in which he announced the Patriot Games, here:
