With a physique that rivals any Marvel character, Riley Hedstrom is ready to become an American superhero.
The gay 28-year-old is representing Minnesota in the upcoming 2024 Mister USA competition, a beauty pageant that provides “young men with the platform to showcase their talents, intelligence, and leadership skills.”
It’s pretty obvious that Hedstrom is, erm, very talented.
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Besides the physical attributes, Mister USA “seeks to identify and showcase well-rounded individuals who possess qualities beyond aesthetics,” reads a description on the organization’s official website. Contestants must also exude intelligence, charisma, and be committed to making a difference in the world.
And that doesn’t look to be a problem for Hedstrom who is an intelligence engineer in health industry, and routinely spreads positive messages and queer advocacy on social media alongside his fiancé, CrossFit star Alec Smith. In 2019, Smith made headlines after coming out in a touching post.
The couple got engaged in 2022 and can often be found sharing fitness tips and giving fans an up close and personal look at their beautiful bodies relationship.
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Born and raised in Minnesota, Hedstrom now lives in Virginia but is proud to rep his home state in the competition.
“The cultural stereotype ‘Minnesota nice’ is definitely a thing. That is why I try to go the extra mile to help people whenever I can,” Hedstrom told True Hollywood Talk. “For all of these reasons, I am really proud to represent my state and I am extremely grateful to have grown up where I did.”
Through the pageant, Hedstrom hopes to send a motivational message to help others get past their own perceived limitations.
“The message I want to get across is that real personal growth only happens when you step of your comfort zone, and when you really challenge yourself,” he added. “I want to encourage others to do the same when those opportunities present themselves.”
Hedstrom also has a deeply personal reason for wanting to become Mister USA.
“Me and my fiancé are definitely trying to start a family sometime soon. We have a couple of really needy dogs right now, but we are open to adding a couple of kids in the mix sometime before we get too old. That is a big priority for us,” he told the outlet. “I hope this Mister USA competition can help us achieve that goal in some way.”
These zaddies want to be daddies!
Hedstrom will be competing against 36 other contestants (not all US states are represented) in categories that include: fitness, state costume, talent showcase, formal wear, swimsuit, and a multimedia presentation discussing their social projects and charitable endeavors. 👀
While it’s unclear if any of the other hunks vying for the title are part of the LGBTQ+ community, having out and proud queer visibility in the pageant is fantastic.
The muscle pageantry all goes down on August 31st at The Shrine in Los Angeles. The winner will receive $50,000 and move on to rep the United States at the Mister Universe competition a month later. Bring on the international studs!
Fans can vote for their favorite Mister USA contestant and whoever gets the most votes is guaranteed a spot in the Top 10.
While tickets for the 2024 Mister USA competition can be purchased here, get to know Riley Hedstrom better via these images from his fantastic Instagram page…
Vince
Ok I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you already know the kind of guy that’s going to be his partner. Young, muscled, and hot ..as… hell. I wish I was their neighbor.
Hopefully I don’t seem bitter about it. 🙁
correctio
yeah duh Vince if you looked like that you would be dating a guy who also looked like that? not sure what your problem is here
Godabed
Yawn!
mikhailmaui
Oh please, Godabed, he is hot af.
Kangol2
Who else is competing?
Why not show them all?