T. J. Lavin
T. J. Lavin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Thomas Joseph Lavin December 7, 1976 Las Vegas, Nevada,U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse |
Roxanne Siordia (m.2012) |
| Children | 1 |
Thomas Joseph Lavin(born December 7, 1976) is an AmericanBMXcyclist and the host ofMTV's reality competition seriesThe Challengesince itseleventh season.
Early life
[edit]Thomas Joseph Lavin was born in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lavin first began to ride bikes when he was two. He eventually became a professional winning his first pro contest at the age of nineteen.[1]
Career
[edit]BMX
[edit]He has entered events including theX Gamesand theDew Tour.In the X Games he took bronze three times, silver once, and gold three times (One was Australian). He has been a DK Dirt Circuit Champion, a champion in theGravity Games,a European championship winner, and a CFB Champion. In 1995, he was crowned the "King of Dirt." He has a 1-acre (0.40 ha) BMX track in his backyard which includes several groomed trails and dirt jumps.[2]
Lavin was competing in a Dew Tour event in Las Vegas on October 14, 2010, where he crashed and was rushed to the hospital. Due to the critical injuries he sustained, he was put into a medically induced coma and developed a case ofpneumoniashortly after.[3][4]On October 20, Chas Aday, friend of Lavin, reported that Lavin was breathing on his own, following simple commands like squeezing hands or giving thumbs-up to the doctors and he was expected to make a full recovery.[5]Lavin was able to return home on November 16, 2010.[6]
According toBleacher Reporthe is considered one of the greatest BMX riders of all time.[7]
Lavin was included into the USA BMX Hall of Fame on October 29, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. Source:https://www.usabmx.com/site/sections/8See photo of Hall of Fame Inductees for 2022.
Music
[edit]Self taught in playing the piano, Lavin used the recording studio in his home to record and release an album called LAVS the First SET.[7]In 2008, Lavin released the single "Soldier", a tribute to his long-time friendStephen Murray.Stephen crashed during the Dew Action Sports Tour in Baltimore. He suffered a serious spinal injury during a double-backflip attempt on June 22, 2007. All sales from the single were donated to the Stephen Murray Family Fund.[2][8][7]
MTV
[edit]Lavin is the subject of the filmA Film about T. J. Lavin.He appeared on an episode of MTV'sCribs.[9]
He has hosted spin-offs, specials, and MTV's reality-competition showThe Challenge(originally titledReal World/Road Rules Challenge) since its eleventh season.[9]
Personal life
[edit]He married his longtime girlfriend Roxanne Siordia on November 2, 2012, in Las Vegas. The couple had been together for eight years and married on their anniversary. Through Siordia, Lavin has one stepdaughter, whom he has since adopted.[10]
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002, 2021 | MTV Cribs | Himself | Season 6, episode 6; season 18, episode 1 |
| 2005–present | The Challenge | Host | Season 11–present |
| 2010 | Spring Break Challenge | 5 episodes | |
| 2021–present | The Challenge: All Stars | Season 1–present | |
| 2022–present | The Challenge: USA | Season 1–present | |
| 2023 | The Challenge: World Championship | 12 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^Hope, Clover (April 9, 2021)."'The Challenge' Is Chaos, But TJ Lavin Keeps It Sane ".GQ.RetrievedMay 14,2022.
- ^abFeldberg, Sarah (May 28, 2009)."Larger than Lav - Las Vegas Weekly".lasvegasweekly.com.
- ^"BMX-MTV host TJ Lavin in critical condition".Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2010.
- ^"BMX Star T.J. Lavin in Coma After Major Crash".TMZ.October 14, 2010.
- ^Vena, Jocelyn (October 20, 2010)."TJ Lavin Expected To Make A 'Full Recovery,' Pal Says".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2015.
- ^Montgomery, James (November 16, 2010)."TJ Lavin Returns Home One Month After Serious Bike Crash".MTV News.Archived fromthe originalon March 6, 2015.
- ^abcSolar, David (October 21, 2010)."TJ Lavin: Latest News on BMX Star's Accident and His Recovery".Bleacher Report.RetrievedMay 14,2022.
- ^"Soldier - a tribute to Stephen Murray".TJ Lavin's Official Site.Archived fromthe originalon February 6, 2009.
- ^ab"TJ Lavin Bio".MTV.Archived fromthe originalon January 14, 2007.
- ^Gray, Mark (November 3, 2012)."TJ Lavin Weds Longtime Girlfriend in Las Vegas".Archived fromthe originalon September 24, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 16,2017.