Kinesiologist, nutrition coach and personal trainer Blake Bartizal chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about representing Minnesota in the 2026 Mister USA competition, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, this July.
American track and field running icon Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” This quote applies to Blake Bartizal, 27.
Overview of Mister USA
Mister USA is an American beauty pageant, which is held annually, and the winner goes on to represent the United States in the Mister Universe competition. It is a celebration of culture, diversity, beauty, intelligence and empowerment.
It believes in the power of young leaders to make a difference in the world. It is not solely about outer beauty; it recognizes the inner beauty and intelligence of their contestants.
Background on Blake Bartizal
Born and raised in Minnesota, Blake embodies Midwest grit, heart, and optimism. From hockey rinks and football fields to the world of modeling, his journey began with a fearless commitment to health, self-belief, and growth.
Transforming his body ignited confidence; transforming his mindset unlocked purpose.
Inspired by his resilient nurse practitioner (NP) mother and grounded by family, Blake carries a never-quit spirit shaped by love, loss, and gratitude.
With his bubbly personality and a passion for storytelling through imagery, he represents a journey fueled by resilience, authenticity, and an unshakable belief in what’s possible.
Blake on competing for Mister USA
Blake shared that he is honored to be competing for this year’s Mister USA competition. “It feels pretty amazing,” he exclaimed. “I definitely feel the enthusiasm and I think about it every day.”
“I still can’t believe it… just to have that experience and to get to meet everybody is going to be awesome,” he acknowledged.
Blake on his Minnesota roots
On his Minnesota roots, he remarked, “I grew up in this great state! The Minnesota Knights are definitely real. I grew up on the lake, we’re the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes.’ We ice fish and we jet ski.”
“In Minnesota, we get three months of enjoyment, and the rest of the year, it’s pretty cold and a little bit gloomy. Those three months, we live it up and enjoy the short time that we get to do things outside,” he said.
Advocacy on this year’s Mister USA
Blake opened up about his advocacy in this year’s Mister USA competition. “I just want to represent perseverance and acceptance,” he noted. “I think learning how to love yourself and accepting where you are and where you’ve been, creates the ability to love yourself, and it’s not going to be easy. That’s why I say perseverance, because every day is going to be an ongoing task to do so.”
“I hope to just get the experience to meet new people, be able to impact a community and share my story… where I started and where I’ve gone,” he noted. “I am just so grateful,” he said, effusively.
Career-defining moments
On his career-defining moments, he said, “I would say the biggest one was probably three years ago when I got rear-ended at a red light. I guess my whole life I’ve been able to go to the gym and work… I’m a go-getter. So, I’m always staying busy.”
“After that accident was the first time where I was ordered by doctors to do nothing and to stop working out. So, it made me just spend a lot of time on myself. I read a lot and I figured out who I was,” he noted.
“That car accident was definitely a transformational time of my life,” he recalled.
Simply put, Blake is a firm believer that adversity makes us stronger.
Future plans
Regarding his future plans, he revealed, “Once I plan to save up enough money, I would like to go back to school for nursing. My mother is a nurse practitioner, and she owns a longevity clinic for women and men. So, it would be cool to work firsthand with my mom.
“Also, I would like to get into acting… I feel I can create a lot of emotions with how I feel. That would be a great experience too,” he admitted.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Blake revealed, “The Metamorphosis.”
“I feel that with all the hard work that I’ve put into myself, this is a transformational period, where there is the light at the end of the tunnel,” he explained. “Having this as a platform will make it all that much more exciting.”
“I feel like a caterpillar in a cocoon… I am slowly sprouting and becoming that butterfly,” he added.
Superpower of choice
His superpower of choice would be “universal empathy,” especially since it is very much needed in this day and age.
Success
On his definition of the word success, Blake stated, “Success means everything to me, to be honest! That’s probably the only thing I fear, not living up to my potential.”
“So, I think success, to me, is just living up to my full potential and creating a ripple effect of… I’m a lover. So, I just want to, as long as I’m loving and bringing that out into the world, that’s success to me,” he added.
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans, followers, and supporters, Blake said, “I would love them to feel more vs. see more. I would like for them to realize that I’m not this perfect person. I’ve had more lows than I’ve had highs.”
“I think, as humans, we can feel when someone is being genuine. I think I just want my fans to just realize that they can really do anything that they really want to do, as cliché as it may sound,” he noted.
“What I want people to get out of me competing for Mister USA is that it does not matter where you start, it matters where you finish. I hope I am able to inspire them and to make them feel,” he concluded.
The late but great actor and martial artist Chuck Norris once said: “I’ve always found that anything worth achieving will always have obstacles in the way and you’ve got to have that drive and determination to overcome those obstacles on route to whatever it is that you want to accomplish.” Blake Bartizal embodies this wise quote, and his life story is an inspiration to us all.
To learn more about Blake Bartizal, follow him on Instagram.
