The Challenge
As the host of MTV’sThe Challengeand various spinoffs since the 2005 - 06 season , T.J. Lavin has been the ideal spokesman for the uttermost sports realness competition series . As someone with a history of his own impressive athletic achievements , Lavin work a level of authority and legitimacy to the game show that viewers can tell is the actual deal . As such , the actor take his advice to pith .
With season 37 ofThe Challengecurrently afoot , it ’s past overdue that fan of the series instruct a few personal factoids , titbit , and fun trivial nugget about T.J. Lavin .
He Was Born In Las Vegas & He’s a Sagittarius
The first thing fans may not love about T.J. Lavin is that the initials of his first name stand for Thomas Joseph . According toMDDailyRecord , Thomas Joseph Lavin was born in Las Vegas on December 7 , 1976 , and continues to call Sin City his home to this day .
The 44 - year - previous Sagittarian master of ceremonies of thebeloved MTV realness telecasting serieshas all the astrological trademark you ’d expect from someone born on December 7th , admit a cheery disposition as a innkeeper , bring home the bacon succeeder as an athlete , worldly wisdom he leave to contestants , and successful maraud into art and euphony ( more to derive ) .
He Was A Professional Dirt Jumping Cyclist By 19
Lavin began riding bikes at the age of two and germinate a specialisation in bicycle motocross ( BMX ) until he quit to engage dirt jump . As report in the sameMDDailyRecordarticle mentioned above , four year later , Lavin became a professional soil - jump cyclist at just age 19 .
In his professional career , Lavin has vie at the high level at the X Games , Gravity Games , The Dew Action Sports Tour , and much more . Lavin was crowned the " King of Dirt " in 1995 after winning the DK Dirt Circuit championship , European Championship , and Crazy Freakin ' Biker ( CFB ) patronage .
He Has 10 X-Games Medals
Lavin won a total of 10 X Games medals from 1996 to 2005 and still place as one of only two rider to a gold decoration in Dirt Jumping more than once ( 1997 & 1999 ) . According toX Games , Lavin has earned two gold , one silver , and three bronze palm at the competition .
Lavin tally another X Games gold palm when he vie in the Australian leg of the circuit . In 2004 , Lavin made a valiant restitution to the track after separating both of his clavicles , underscoring his temper , decision , and relentless will to succeed no matter what .
He Has A Backyard Racetrack
According toLas Vegas Weekly , Lavin has a backyard raceway that he utilize for playfulness and to facilitate his friends prepare with new tricks . The one - acre malicious gossip trail is outfitted with multiple trail and dirt jumps that he enjoin are " style more technical than a Dew Tour " and that " when you get to the level where you’re able to ride here , it ’s 90 percent mental . "
With an unwavering allegiance to the athletics , Lavin says he pass " at least two hours a day out here , lower limit . Some Day are 12 , 13 - minute sidereal day out here just digging . I love it . It ’s habitation to me . "
He’s Has A Ton Of Sponsorship Deals & A Net Worth Of $9M
Combined with his host duties , which have helped retainThe Challenge’sstatus as one ofMTV ’s most popular realness show in 2021 , Lavin has amass a net worth of roughly $ 9 million , according toExactnetworth.com . Lavin is even the subject of"King of Dirt , " a photorealistic paintingby creative person , Bert Ernie .
He’s Married & Has A Daughter
According toPeople , after being together for eight years , Lavin and his longtime girlfriend , Roxanne Siordia got married on their day of remembrance on November 2 , 2012 . Their lowkey wedding ceremonial occasion take spot at Las Vegas City Hall .
According to Lavin , " I knew I was going to marry her the second I met her . We thought about doing it at the crusade - thru but we could n’t go through with it , so I said I was down with City Hall . Fancy weddings are n’t our thing . " Lavin has since take over Raquel , Roxanne ’s daughter from a prior relationship .
He’s Appeared On Cribs - Twice!
As a longtime MTV backbone , Lavin appeared on an episode of the once - pop realness TV show , Cribs , double . The first metre came in 2002 when he was a bachelor , and his sprawling Las Vegas abode was adorned with pianos , pool table , and other accouterments for living single .
In August 2021 , Lavin reinvited theMTV Cribs ' gang back into the same house from closely 20 years prior to showcase how it has evolved now that he is a married humans and a Father of the Church . Themakeover is an unrecognizable upgradeof the planetary house from 2002 , spotlight just how far Lavin has add up and how successful his path has been in the cognitive process .
He Also Has A Music Career
Another fun fact about T.J. Lavin is his tertiary music vocation . Lavin teach himself how to play piano as a child and has built a recording studio apartment in his dwelling , which he call Lavs Labs . His first album , " LAVS the First Set " was release in 2007 .
In 2008 , Lavin free the individual " Soldier , " a dear testimonial to his close booster Stephen Murray , a BMX passenger who sustained a catastrophic spinal injury during the AST Dew Tour . Lavin has also sung on tracks by Tsunami Boys and Suburban Noize .
He Even Acts!
In addition to his euphony calling , Lavin has also paddle in cinema a few prison term . After producing and starring as Elyin the 2013 independent repugnance film , Beast : A colossus Among Men , Lavin lately toy a variation of himself as a BMX rider in the punk rocker - careen dramatic play , Viena and the Fantomes .
Lavin also compose the original euphony for the 2007 short film , Freak Accident , and was given a acknowledgment of gratitude for the 2019 documentary , Any One Of Us , which chronicles the trouble of jock retrieve from terrible spinal injuries .
He Has His Own Video Game
Much like professional skateboarder Tony Hawk , Lavin has a videogame named after him . unfreeze in 2000 for Game Boy Color and 2001 for PS1,MTV Sports : T.J. Lavin ’s Ultimate BMXis a sport game that leave players to airstream bikes , dirt start , perform detailed tricks , and much more .
regrettably , the uttermost sports biz drew mostly electronegative reviews , gain a 47 Metascore and 50 percent GameRankings mark withMetacritic . Combined with underwhelming sales , the game was not turned into a franchise . Still , not many people can say they have a telecasting secret plan accept their likeness .
NEXT : The Challenge - The 10 Most Creative Eliminations , Ranked
