Thomas Joseph "TJ" Lavin is a BMX legend and the current host of The Challenge. He first took over the role as host following Dave Mirra during The Gauntlet 2, and has hosted every flagship season since then, as well as every season of the All Stars series, The Challenge: USA, and World Championship. He is well known for his dislike of quitters.
Biography[]
The Gauntlet 2[]Retrieved from MTV.com When you think of TJ Lavin, think incredible talent. Growing up in Las Vegas, TJ was drawn to BMX racing as a young child, and showed potential as a top contender almost immediately. He soon discovered dirt jumping and before long found almost unparalleled success, having been crowned the "King of Dirt" in 1995. In the X Games he has medaled several times over, taking the bronze three times, the silver once, and the gold twice, his most recent medal being in 2004. He has also been a DK Dirt Circuit Champ, a champion in the Gravity Games, and a CFB Champion. Outside of his successes on the track, TJ has also developed a plethora of talents off the track. He has appeared on Cribs and stared in a documentary film. He was also featured in his own video game, MTV Sports: TJ Lavin's Ultimate BMX. Lavin is also a music producer. He has a studio in his home, and has worked with several young talents who are on the rise in the music industry, as well as producing his own tracks. He has shown a real gift for music, having taught himself to play the piano purely by ear. TJ Lavin is truly a young man on the make, poised to launch him self to even greater heights in the very near future.
Fresh Meat[]Retrieved from MTV.com When you think of TJ Lavin, think incredible talent. Growing up in Las Vegas, TJ was drawn to BMX racing as a young child, and showed potential as a top contender almost immediately. He soon discovered dirt jumping and before long found almost unparalleled success, having been crowned the "King of Dirt" in 1995. In the X Games he has medaled several times over, taking the bronze three times, the silver once, and the gold twice, his most recent medal being in 2004. He has also been a DK Dirt Circuit Champ, a champion in the Gravity Games, and a CFB Champion. Outside of his successes on the track, TJ has also developed a plethora of talents off the track. He has appeared on Cribs, hosted The Gauntlet 2 and stared in a documentary film, White Knuckle Extreme. He was also featured in his own video game, MTV Sports: TJ Lavin's Ultimate BMX. Lavin is also a music producer. He has a studio in his home, and has worked with several young talents who are on the rise in the music industry, as well as producing his own tracks. He has shown a real gift for music, having taught himself to play the piano purely by ear. TJ Lavin is truly a young man on the make, poised to launch him self to even greater heights in the very near future.
The Duel[]Retrieved from MTV.com When you think of TJ Lavin, think incredible talent. Growing up in Las Vegas, he was drawn to BMX racing and showed potential as a top contender almost immediately. He soon discovered dirt jumping and before long found almost unparalleled success, having been crowned the "King of Dirt" in 1995. TJ has ridden away from the X Games bronze (three), silver (one) and gold (two) medals and has also been a champion on the DK Dirt Circuit, in the Gravity Games and the CFB (Crazy Freakin' Bikers) competition. TJ has also developed a plethora of talents off the track. He has appeared on MTV Cribs, hosted previous editions of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge and starred in the documentary film White Knuckle Extreme. He was also featured in his own video game, MTV Sports: TJ Lavin's Ultimate BMX. Lavin has also shown a real gift for music, having taught himself to play the piano purely by ear. As a producer with a studio in his Sin City home, he has worked with several young talents, as well as recording his own tracks. Any way you slice it, TJ Lavin is truly a young man on the make, poised to launch himself to even greater heights in the very near future.
The Inferno 3[]Retrieved from MTV.com When you think of TJ Lavin, think incredible talent. Growing up in Las Vegas, he was drawn to BMX racing and showed potential as a top contender almost immediately. He soon discovered dirt jumping and before long found almost unparalleled success, having been crowned the "King of Dirt" in 1995. TJ has ridden away from the X Games bronze (three), silver (one) and gold (two) medals and has also been a champion on the DK Dirt Circuit, in the Gravity Games and the CFB (Crazy Freakin' Bikers) competition. TJ has also developed a plethora of talents off the track. He has appeared on MTV Cribs, hosted previous editions of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge and starred in the documentary film White Knuckle Extreme. He was also featured in his own video game, MTV Sports: TJ Lavin's Ultimate BMX. Lavin has also shown a real gift for music, having taught himself to play the piano purely by ear. As a producer with a studio in his Sin City home, he has worked with several young talents, as well as recording his own tracks. Any way you slice it, TJ Lavin is truly a young man on the make, poised to launch himself to even greater heights in the very near future.
The Ruins[]Retrieved from MTV.com TJ Lavin, the host for your favorite MTV show, the RW/RR Challenge, is so much more than meets the eye. He's got 8 challenges under his belt and is looking forward to hosting his 9th. When he's not hosting The Challenge, he's crushing the dirt on his BMX bike. TJ was born and raised in sunny Las Vegas, where dirt and mountains are in abundance. He's been riding professionally for 15 years, clenching the gold for several X Games and picking up another 7 winning medals on the ride. With these and many other accolades in tow, he's been dubbed 'The King of Dirt". Along with BMX racing, he spends his time cutting tracks on motorcycles and 4-wheelers. He also taps into his creative side by making music. He released an album in 2008, which includes the heart-felt song 'Soldier' (also the name of the album). Soldier is a personal tribute to his close friend and former BMX rider, Stephen Murray. Check it out on his facebook page... and become a fan while you're there. Tune in to see TJ and The Challenge cast as they embark on their next journey on Challenge 19, you'll be glad you did!
Rivals[]Retrieved from MTV.com TJ Lavin, veteran BMX pro dirt jumper and host of MTV's hit show The Challenge, is back for another season, living up to his "never say quit" attitude that he so often emphasizes on the show. Candid and to the point, this X Games gold medalist is a favorite of MTV viewers for putting Challenge competitors in their place when they give anything less than their all. But never has TJ's can-do attitude been put to the test more than after a horrific accident during 2010's Dew Tour Championship in TJ's hometown of Las Vegas, where the beloved host took a life-threatening fall. Landing in the hospital with bleeding on the brain, an orbital fracture, and a broken wrist, TJ was placed in a medically induced coma for close to 2 weeks. Proving that nothing can stop a positive attitude, TJ has made astonishing leaps and bounds with his recovery, all in time to host Rivals - the most exciting season of The Challenge to date. Rivals will mark TJ's 11th season as host. Along with BMX dirt jumping, TJ likes to tap into his creative side by making music. He released an album in 2008, which includes the heart-felt song 'Soldier' (also the name of the album). Soldier is a personal tribute to his close friend and former BMX rider, Stephen Murray.
Double Agents[]Retrieved from MTV.com Former BMX rider and X Games gold medalist TJ Lavin assumed his Challenge hosting duties during The Gauntlet 2 in 2005. With over two dozen seasons under his belt, the host has made his expectations of the contestants clear -- quitting is not an option.
Ride or Dies[]Retrieved from MTV.com TJ was born in Las Vegas. He is a professional BMX dirt jumper with multiple medals in the X-Games and is part of the BMX Hall of Fame Class of 2022. He has hosted spin-offs, specials and MTV's reality competition show The Challenge since its 11th season back in 2005. |
Post-Challenge[]
- On October 14, 2010, TJ sustained critical injuries at the Dew Tour event in Las Vegas. He was placed into a medically induced coma and eventually recovered, returning home on November 16, 2010. He returned to host Rivals following the accident.
- TJ attended the Dirty 30 reunion as a stand-in for Camila Nakagawa who did not attend. TJ also drew for the Double Cross during the winners' reveal.
- TJ participated in the special six-part documentary series, The Challenge: Untold History, in 2022.