Ethan McCormick chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about representing Nevada in the 2026 Mister USA competition. This year’s pageant will take place in mid-July at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Albert Einstein once said: “Adversity introduces a man to himself.” This quote applies to Ethan McCormick, 23.
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.
Repping Nevada
On representing Nevada, he remarked, “I’m honored to be repping Mr. Nevada, this year. It’s an honor to be representing the state that I was born in, and I can’t be thankful enough. I never thought that I would be representing my own state in a pageant like this, let alone in general. So, it’s a great opportunity to put out the message that I want to put out there.”
“It’s really about being authentic and disciplined. I would say the most I’ve learned from my life is from discipline and from being myself. So, always remember that you are somebody that can be disciplined or get through whatever circumstance you might be going through,” he noted.
“As long as you know there’s a future and there’s something ahead of the line, I think anything is possible, and I really want to push that message forward with this competition,” he added.
Advocacy for Mister USA
On his advocacy for this year’s Mister USA, he shared, “I was born with a heart defect. I had a hole in my heart, and one of my valves was broken as well. When I was eight years old, I had open heart surgery and after the surgery, I was diagnosed with a neurological disorder called chorea.”
“This is a neurological disorder that happens in a small percentage of kids that have gone through heart surgery,” he said. “So, I was a percentage of a percentage of people that were diagnosed with this disorder but that didn’t stop me, and that didn’t make me feel like I was less than anyone until years later. When I got to middle school and high school, kids were mean because they don’t understand how difficult something is for someone.”
“I want to inspire other kids that are going through something similar that they can do anything as long as they have the discipline and as long as they are authentic,” he acknowledged. “They need to be authentic, know their limits and be patient with themselves. I think those three habits are great to help people achieve their biggest dreams.”
“I would say I am a good example of that,” he noted. “After heart surgery, I got into different kinds of sports, and I fell in love with gymnastics. When I was 15, I took a trampoline class, and immediately I fell in love with flipping around and doing things that most people can’t do, because I had some certain talent with it. Once I found my talent, I ran with it. So, gymnastics took me to the national and state competitions.”
“Gymnastics taught me how to be competitive in a way where I’m not compare myself to other people because other people have different circumstances. Instead, I’m comparing myself to the person I was the day before, and I think that’s a great outlook on competition. You’re not competing with others. You’re just trying to bring out the best version of yourself,” he elaborated.
Plans for the future
Regarding his future plans, he shared, “For the next five years, I want to keep growing my influence. I want to work with brands that appeal to my message. I want to focus on authenticity, and show my real self. Obviously, I was on a reality TV show (‘Temptation Island’), and I work for Cirque du Soleil, but those things aren’t me. That’s what I do. That’s what I’ve done.”
“Who I am is what I really want to show. I want to show how discipline and care for others can get you to places that you’ve never even thought you could get,” he noted.
“So, over the next five years, I will be growing my social media, finding myself more and more every day, and hopefully, spreading a message to those that are doubting themselves and who are in bad situations, so that they can have faith in themselves. Seeing me do it will be the blueprint for the next generation of kids,” he elaborated.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Acceptance.” “I’ve struggled with being too hard on myself for a long time,” he admitted. “For me, I was too focused on my self-growth. I think the chapter of my life now is accepting where I’m at, and accepting that there is growth to be made, but it doesn’t have to happen right now.”
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, he said, “Success means achieving the goal you set out to do. Success means being confident in who you are and showing yourself that you are amazing. I think once you believe that you are amazing, then you are successful.”
Message for his fans and supporters
For his fans and supporters, he expressed, “Thank you guys so much. Honestly, I’m learned so much from my fans, supporters, and everybody that has been there along the way. Stick around… You haven’t seen everything yet. There is still more to come.”
“Thank you for letting me be myself and for appreciating the fact that I’m here,” he said, effusively. “While I don’t have too many fans and supporters, every single one that I do have means something to me. Every time I get a positive comment on social media, it warms my heart, for sure.”
Closing thoughts on Mister USA
McCormick remarked, “I want my supporters to know that it’s not just about looks. Mister USA is about who you are. It’s about how you treat other people. It’s about how you move in your day-to-day life, and it’s about what you can achieve and what you can succeed in with yourself, without comparison.”
“You should just be the best version of yourself,” he underscored. “So, I’m going to put my best version of myself out there on that stage, and hopefully everyone can take that and put themselves out there, show their real selves, and risk something, because this is a big risk for me as well.”
“Being in a pageant as a man can be controversial, but I think taking the risk and putting yourself out there, is the first step towards greatness,” he concluded.
To learn more about 2026 Mister Nevada contender Ethan McCormick, follow him on Instagram.
