Huegen part of law enforcement torch run for Special Olympics USA games

Alex Huegen of Germantown will take part in the Special Olympics USA games opening ceremony this Saturday. He is pictured here giving a speech in Pittsburgh.        A Germantown resident is currently on the national stage for the law enforcement torch run.
    Alex Huegen will be a part of the Special Olympics USA games opening ceremony this Saturday. The Special Olympic USA games will be June 20-26  in Minneapolis. Representing all 50 states, nearly 3,000 athletes supported by 1,500 coaches will compete in 16 Olympic-type team and individual sports.
    A range of the Special Olympic events will stream on ESPN+ on the ESPN App. The opening ceremony will be streamed on ESPN+ and Disney+ from 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday. 
    The torch run will feature a national team of 73 participants, including 53 law enforcement officers and six Special Olympic athletes. Huegen was chosen as a guardian of the flame and will participate in the final leg for Special Olympic USA Games 2026. 
Alex Huegen, FRONT, LEFT, holds the flame as the groups from Route 1 and Route 2 of the law enforcement torch run come together in Minneapolis.    Beginning on May 29 at Soldier Field in Chicago, which is the birthplace of Special Olympics and home to the Eternal Flame of Hope, law enforcement officers and Special Olympic athletes have united to carry the torch side-by-side across the nation. Along the way, the Flame of Hope will be carried through 13 states across all time zones and will cover about 10,000 miles.
    From Chicago, the Flame of Hope split into two national routes before reuniting in Minnesota. Route 1 headed west and south through Los Angeles (June 1), Sacramento (June 3), Seattle (June 5), Wichita (June 7) Dallas/Fort Worth (June 9), Atlanta (June 11) and Nashville (June 13). Route 2 took place on the East Coast and Great Lakes with stops in New York City (June 5), Point Pleasant (June 6), Philadelphia (June 7), Harrisburg (June 8), Pittsburgh (June 9), Cleveland (June 11) and Detroit (June 12).
    Huegen gave a speech in Pittsburgh. Huegen said his light didn't always shine bright. In junior high he was bullied and struggled in school. He felt like his flame was going out until he found Special Olympics. He had teammates, friends, and a place where he belonged. 
    Huegen became an athlete leader, his grades improved, and he joined cross country and track. He went from running a 5K in about an hour to running a 5K in 16 minutes. He earned a college cross country scholarship, competed nationally, won gold medals, and spoke to congress. 
    "Special Olympics didn't just change my life, it gave me purpose," Huegen said. 
    Both teams reunited at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on June 14 to embark on a homecoming tour that includes stops in Duluth (June 16); Hibbing, Brainerd and Alexandria (June 17); and Watertown, Rochester and Red Wing (June 18). Following a final push through the Mall of America and Stillwater on Friday, the Law Enforcement Torch Run final leg will arrive on Saturday at National Sports Center in Blaine. The flame will cross the Mississippi River by canoe before arriving later that evening at Huntington Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. There, the torch will ignite the cauldron to open the USA Games.
    The Special Olympic USA Games are a national celebration of inclusivity, changing perceptions and the ability of the human spirit rising above limitations.