DC ExtraTime: T.J.'s Road to Recovery

BY DC CUEVA                           

> @DC408dxtr / @DC408dxnow

We are two weeks into a new cycle of what this longtime fan refers to as the MTV Trifecta, bringing you social interaction, stories, opinions and perspective of the three shows that matter most to this longtime, passionate MTV fan. Yes, Season 3 of Are You The One? is our focus here right now, but before you know it we'll be into covering Season 27 of The Challenge and Season 31 of Real World. And of course, all of them are given extensive, wall-to-wall coverage right here on DCBLOG.
   But before we move into an all-new episode tomorrow night as the AYTO cast deals with an early game-changing, money-losing blackout, for me there's also anticipation growing for my trip to Las Vegas coming up in over 100 hours from now. It's not only my favorite city outside of the Bay Area, it also happens to be the hometown of the subject we are covering here.

Something that makes our coverage of these shows different from other sites and forms of media is that we focus in on the stories and people of this ecosystem, and provide a unique angle on the Trifecta you probably can't find anywhere else. I'd like to think of this page as a complement to the recaps, rankings and interviews of other pages, in that there's more to these people than what you see on TV. After all, no kind of programming is best suited to this kind of coverage in thoughtful insight, analysis, reflection and perspective than MTV reality shows. And there's no channel out there with a deeper, intimate and more closer relationship with its viewers than MTV as well.

   It's with this in mind that DC ExtraTime offers the chance to go beyond the hookups and the drama to cover this franchise in a unique & interesting way. In the past, we've brought you a slew of stories through the prism of the Trifecta, from a Canadian teen inspired by the volunteer work of the RW Back to New Orleans cast post-Katrina to castmates Nany and Jay dealing with untimely passings of members of their family while filming their RW seasons. It's telling the stories of the Trifecta that brings a different side of the people that makes them relatable and prove that there's more to them than pretty faces and moments of drunken drama and conflict that reality TV is known for.

In this first dedicated edition of ExtraTime of this new cycle, and a special one in fact, we'll focus on one of Team MTV's most-revered members and the man who's the face of the so-called "fifth major pro sport." For TJ Lavin, he has been host of The Challenge for a decade now, seeing the show's growth from just a simple friendly battle of two sister shows to the great program it is as something unlike anything else in the reality TV world. But, it was something that happened five years ago next week outside the MTV cameras that became the greatest challenge he has ever endured. And it was how he was able to not only come all the way back from a horrific, life-threatening accident, but also be brave enough to host a Challenge season just months a fateful night in his hometown that nearly changed his life forever.
   We told you his story before in brief during Rivals II here two years ago, but this time on the 5-year anniversary of that fateful night in October 2010, this story is more than deserving of a second look in an expanded form. Taken from interviews he did in the months following the life-changing crash in the last BMX event he would compete in, after the jump TJ reflects on the most devastating time of his life, in his own words. Then, DCBLOG tells the story and provides reflection on, along with the late Diem Brown's battle with cancer, the ultimate comeback story in Challenge history.

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: T.J. LAVIN

First, the thoughts of this survivor. Just before competition began on The Challenge: Rivals, which was taped only four months after that fateful night in October 2010, MTV.com sat down with TJ where he discussed his progress in the recovery process and how he was persuaded by producers to travel down to Costa Rica for what some consider the best Challenge season ever. TJ also expressed enormous gratitude for the family, friends and fans who offered him support during that traumatic time. Specially transcribed from the videos which you can view here, here's TJ in his own words.

> The Days After The Crash

"When I first woke up, I was like, 'Here we go again. I've been knocked out again.' But, I thought I was out for a 30-40 seconds type of thing, or maybe it was one of my big ones and it was like a two-hour knockout, or something like that. But, this one happened to be two days to two weeks. So, two weeks is a long time now, so that's a rough go. But, I didn't even know what year it was or know three animals. I didn't know anything. So, it was kinda weird.

   "But, I remember the first thing I do remember was my mom saying to me that my body's not paralyzed. And that was a big deal to me because I was very scared. 'So, you're okay. You're not paralyzed. Don't worry.' That's the first thing I remember is that.

   "And then my girl's hand and I was squeezing her hand or something. And that's all I remember, really. I don't remember anything else. I mean, I guess it was like I was doing a lot of funny things. It's when you're hammered drunk or something. That's what I was. Everyone was really trying to help me. It was really positive and really cool, and all the emails and notes and letters and everything and tweets and whatever. It meant a lot to me and it really felt good to have that many people behind your back."

> The Recovery Process (as of Feb. 2011)

"Well, right now I go to Tim Socer Physical Therapy every day. I'm trying to get all the motor skills back and all my walking and talking and everything better. Tim Soder is a friend of mine and he came to see me at the hospital and he's like, 'We're going to make you 100%. Don't worry.' So, that's pretty solid. So, I go there every day in the morning, and I'm trying to get better and there's speech classes that I can do, but I do a lot of brain games online...I'm trying to get better. So, I want to get better, yesterday.
   "My first class that I went to...the guy asked, 'What do you want to do? What's your goal once you're better, when you're better?' And I told him that I wanted to drive, and now I'm driving. So, that was pretty good, I made that goal. My speech is getting there, but it's like it's still really slurred.
   "I'm still the same guy in here trapped in this body. I was that guy jumping off Swiss balls, and real bounce and real agility and stuff like that. And I'm still that guy, but I'm a different person now. I'm in a different form and I really have to work on it to get that back.

> On Adjusting to Life Post-Accident

"I'm the hardest critic, for sure. I'd like to perfect it and just make it happen and make it better. And the second I woke up, I hit the ground running and literally I was like, 'Let's get better.' And I couldn't even barely see when I was trying to walk down my hallway. And it's things like that...I had the gnarliest limp you ever saw in your life because I couldn't move my right side. So, your right side is so hard to move when you're like that. Like everything is that you have to think about it. It's a big thought process. And I would walk in the mirror for a long time. I'd look in the mirror and walk towards myself to try and get a rhythm, a hitch in my step...things like that. I don't want that to happen and that I don't want to have the rest of my life. I just try to make that happen. If I slur my words, I try to sharpen my tongue and just make it a bit better, because it's hard to talk when your tongue feels this big."

> On How He Came to Costa Rica for Rivals

"First of all, the reason that I'm even here is Justin Booth, the executive producer. He's the reason that I'm here. He is rock solid and he's a stand up guy and he's a man of his word. And the very first Challenge that I did, he told me, 'No matter what, you're my guy. As long as I'm on this show, so are you.' And I was like, 'Cool.' (Booth:) 'Well, that's reciprocal. So, as long as I do the show, you're doing the show.' So, it was a great relationship right out of the gate.

   "When I was in the hospital, one of the things that I remember that I pick out of the air is that I overheard Justin's voice talking to my mom and him saying, 'This is my host. If I have to prop him up and feed him on the lines one by one, this is gonna be my guy.' And to me, it really meant a lot. It really hit me and I was like, 'Man, that's a stand-up guy. I can't talk at the moment but I couldn't do anything.' Man, that's solid.
   "And me coming here, it really helps me get out of the house. It helps me pretend that I'm not hurt. You know, just get better. That's what you have to do. You really have to face the real world and you have to be the old guy again. So, that's what you have to do. You have to try and work it all out and try to make yourself better."

> On His Challenge Hosting Job, and Rivals I

"Every Challenge that I do is so fun. It's not even a real hard job. To me, I look at it and it's like, it's the craziest thing in the world because it's so fun. All the people are real cool and the challengers...like, they're always in a fight and then the next day they're best friends. So, this is gonna be very interesting because they're pairing them up with their worst enemies, and then, so they'll have a gnarly fight that night and then they'll be best friends the next day: thin line between love and hate. This is gonna be fun.
   "I think the guys will handle a little easier. I think the girls are gonna have some problems. I think because they're very emotional and it's gonna be tough because I think the guys are gonna be like, 'Oh, we punched each other in the face...no big deal. Get over it.'. Whereas the girls...they hold a little bit more grudges a little longer, I think. So, it's gonna be interesting to see.
   "My tolerance level is probably a little more. I probably will take a little more ... if they want to give it to me. But I don't think that they will. I think that they'll keep it real, they'll be cool, and it'll be semi tame this season. But if they do get out of line, then I will not hesitate to tell them, 'You're out of line.' And I brought a fighter with me in Greg, so somebody does have my back at all times, and I'll let them know, 'That's it, no more, no more.' It's personally Johnny, I know he'll let loose at the mouth already. I've been hearing him. But I really don't think that it's gonna be too much of a problem. But if it is, then I won't hesitate. I told them that I was back, and I am here."

And in August 2011 while Rivals was airing, at an ALLI Dew Tour stop in Louisville NBC sat down with TJ for an update on his progress and the recovery nearly a year after the crash.

> The Accident: 10 Months Later

"I really don't remember too much of it, but I do remember waking up in the hospital and squeezing my girl's hand, but I couldn't really open my eyes. Hearing my mom say that I could me up because I'm not paralyzed: she was like, 'Wake up TJ, you're not paralyzed.' The road to recovery has been tough. I mean, at the very beginning I didn't even know what an animal was. So, it was pretty crazy. I had to learn how to tie shoes again and count money. Everything you would think is just normal, and why wouldn't you know how to do that, I had to relearn that.

   "The most important thing is to just not give up. If you can just keep going and not give up, then that is a huge key. The brain heals, and the body heals, and you gotta stay motivated and you gotta stay positive. It's not over by any means...I'm still here, I'm still able to make it happen, but I'm really lucky. So, I just count those blessings instead."

REFLECTION: ROAD TO RECOVERY

Last November, the MTV community mourned the losses of both Challenge vet & two-time cancer survivor Diem Brown and Real World Back to New Orleans' Ryan Knight in a span of only 13 days. This received the biggest amount of media coverage of reality TV's longest-running franchise since the death twenty years earlier of RW San Francisco castmate and AIDS icon Pedro Zamora. Diem's standing as a cancer advocate and the surprise nature of Knight's untimely passing on Thanksgiving morning brought all sorts of emotion to Team MTV. But the last time the RW/Challenge franchise got considerable media attention from outside the MTV & youth culture realm was five years earlier, when the host of the ladder was involved in a terrible, life-altering accident.

T.J. on Exes 2.
(Pic Credit: MTV)

TJ Lavin is a proud Las Vegas native, who was literally born to ride a bike when he was two years old and raced BMX when he was in junior high. He swapped racing (and Olympic-style wrestling) to try his hand at dirt biking, and by the age of 19, almost straight of high school, he became a pro. It's not surprising that he has the best playground in the world for this sport as there's plenty of dirt and mountains in the sunny, desert oasis of the Las Vegas Valley. That summer of 1995, TJ (acronym for Thomas Joseph) was crowned the "King of Dirt," and it became the stepping stone to a pro BMX career lasting fifteen years. He would collect medals in almost competition he would enter, including 7 X-Games medals (three of them gold), a few ALLI Dew Tour titles, and the list goes on.

   Of course, TJ is best known to us MTV fans as a regular of a channel whose millennial audience loves the world and thrills of action sports. He's been featured on Cribs, had an MTV video game that bears his name, and is a regular of Ridiculousness with fellow action sports icon Rob Dyrdek. But, it's his role as Challenge host since Gauntlet II in 2005 that has gained him the greatest attention, both among sports fans and TV viewers. When he took over a role occupied by fellow action sports pioneers Jonny Moseley and Dave Mirra, TJ has enjoyed a front row seat to the show's evolution to becoming, as Grantland calls it, the unofficial "fifth major pro sport" and everything that's happened since then: CT putting Bananas on his back on Cutthroat, letting the Veterans know of them losing Gauntlet III due to Big Easy quitting, epic final challenges and the list goes on.

   TJ is the embodiment of the "never say quit" montra he brought to his BMX days that has translated off the dirt into his hosting job. As was proof in what happened to Jay & Jenna after they bolted from last season's Exes 2 final in Norway, TJ expects nothing but the best effort from competitors, or they will be scolded in only the way he can. He's as honest, to the point and as blunt as any other reality TV personality when he puts players on blast when they're not at their very best. But on a lighter side, he always relishes the chance he gets every time he tests the brains of the competitors for a good old-fashioned game of trivia, which of course brings out a different side of him. Who can forget him sporting a '70s game show outfit when I got to follow a Challenge for the first time 3 years ago?

But, it was on October 14, 2010 - five years ago this month - that the can-do attitude Lavin possesses was put to the test in the most nerve-wracking way that touched those both in and outside the tight-knit world of the action sports community. He chose the ALLI Dew Tour Championship in his hometown to say goodbye to competitive BMX racing in front of not just action sports fans, but also the ones who've seen his growth and his career from the beginning.

   Just one day earlier, TJ's local friend Ty Pinney crashed while riding in the BMX star's custom course in his backyard, being hospitalized for brain swelling and being placed in a medically induced coma. The next day at qualifying, Lavin wore a t-shirt in support of Ty, but there was no hint, no idea that, despite it taking place a day shy of Friday the 13th, lightning would strike a second time on the BMX world in the most cruelest of ways...and on one of its greatest.

   The final runs that evening was supposed to be a celebration and a victory lap for TJ as he would compete one last time before riding off into the sunset. When he took to the ramp to attempt a mid-air combo trick jump called a "nac nac," he not being able to get his feet back on the bike pedals in time, and he crashed hard into the dirt. Suddenly, Lavin was knocked unconscious upon hitting his head as those rushed to see what had happened to him. Suddenly, things changed instantly in an eye blink.
   Upon being rushed by ambulance to the nearby hospital, the results of the report revealed an orbital fracture to his eye, a brain injury, broken ribs, and a shattered right wrist upon impact. He was placed into a medically induced coma for 8 days with critical head trauma, needed a breathing tube and developed a case of pneumonia. Instantly, the entire action sports community rallied behind their fallen comrade...so did Team MTV who taped a get-well message for him in the same time that The Challenge: Cutthroat had just begun airing.
   All of a sudden, Ty Pinney had unexpected company in the hospital, separated by only five beds; TJ would later recall in People that it was him being escorted off was his last memory of that month, and they would ultimately work together in the recovery process. And a few days after the crash, his mom texted an update that he moved his hands, gave a thumbs up and was resting comfortably. In the week that followed, he would follow simple commands, followed by breathing, opening his eyes, eating on his own, speaking, and finally taking his first steps 10 days after the accident.
   Doctors showed optimism of Lavin making a full recovery, but they knew that extensive rehab and more surgeries were needed. Upon leaving the hospital just before Thanksgiving, he began the difficult and rigorous process of taking intense physical therapy to regain his pre-accident strength, learning to walk again and adjust to using that wrist that was reworked on. Despite not remembering any of that fateful October night, this accident nonetheless changed TJ's life through and through.
   Just as it would be a few years later for Team MTV, the reaction to TJ's accident was immediate and widespread with overwhelming support. Everyone from both in the BMX world and those in Southern Nevada stepped up to help whatever they can for their fallen comrade. This included UFC President Dana White and fellow Zuffa, Inc. owners Lorenzo & Frank Fertitta, who were among the many who helped to pay Lavin's hospital bills.

And then, there's that call. Upon Cutthroat wrapping up over the holidays, plans got underway for Season 21 of The Challenge. Executive Producer Justin Booth and his Bunim-Murray team knew they had something on their hands in how to perhaps deal to potentially doing a season without their beloved host. And so did the cast who have had him as their tour guide since many of them have had him as their only host.
   But as fate would have it, TJ's recovery went so well that once everyone - cast and crew - flew off to Costa Rica to film that season just four months after that crash, the competitors had not only no idea what would await them, but also who would host after what happened in Vegas. And it's when he walked out of the darkness that they could breath a sign of relief. All longtime vet Jenn would say was, "It actually brings years to my eyes. TJ already is an amazing example for this Challenge. Seeing him pull through what he pulled through and being here just shows you that you can do whatever you put your mind through."

   TJ returning to host Rivals just months after that accident only added to the appeal of what many see as the best Challenge season ever when an all-star cast were paired off with their enemies that made for great TV. Just the sight of him walking from the darkness as the season started was one of the best sights that Challenge vets like Paula, Johnny Bananas, Kenny and the like had ever seen. They couldn't believe that someone who had the sheer guts and courage of flying down to host the show he's most identified with...they couldn't think of anyone else to handle what would go down. And it helped set the stage for everything we got to see that summer of 2011 that re-energized The Challenge in a time where Jersey Shore and Teen Mom dominated MTV in its post-TRL era.

   Since then, TJ has made a full 100% recovery and is now enjoying life away from the rigors of competition, but has remained one of action sports' great ambassadors. In addition to, of course, his Challenge hosting duties, he and longtime girlfriend of eight years Roxanne Sioridia tied the knot the next year, and is a regular fixture at action sports events as both a spectator and a BMX course designer. And as friends with its commissioner and his business associates who helped him in his most important time, TJ is a hardcore UFC fan in the world's fight capital.

   And, as you saw during Exes 2 in our coverage of the last MTV Trifecta cycle earlier this year, TJ has also become a great citizen in helping out others in a hometown that has had its ups and downs in recent years. He's partnered a few times with KVVU-TV, the local FOX affiliate in town, to give two Vegas residents life-changing news: a local resident who had his bike stolen a replacement & money to lift his spirits, and another with ALS with the time of his life riding in an off-road vehicle.

Along with the life-long battle against ovarian cancer that Diem Brown went through until last fall and her relationship with CT, TJ's comeback story is perhaps one of the best stories in RW/Challenge history, and of this world of the MTV Trifecta. This is a story that really touched those not only in the action sports world, but beyond that to MTV fans, to sports fans and to those in Las Vegas. The crash and the ensuing recovery process brought about a strong outpouring of support that helped him get through that tumultuous time to get back up on his feet. And not only that, he was able to not miss hosting what would be a classic Challenge season thanks to great advances in recovery, which made me respect him more.
   As a musician on the side along with everything he's got going for himself, Lavin paid tribute in 2008 to close friend, former BMX rider and three time major event gold medalist Stephen Murray after the ladder from Britain suffered a career-ending crash that left him paralyzed. TJ has soldiered on since that night that nearly changed everything for him, and has not only fully recovered from the crash but become stronger in the five years since. And when the time comes for the buzz for Season 27 of The Challenge to begin sometime down the road, this great comeback story will surely come back to mind. And when I was able to find out more about that night in writing this in addition to it happening at that time, I came to appreciate TJ even more for this story. Much respect, TJ.

This isn't the only story that involves a member of the MTV Trifecta going through the trauma of a life-changing accident that would have seen its subject being potentially confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. But ultimately like what happened to TJ, he defied the odds and made a comeback against all odds to be part of the only couple from their show to stay together. In a future edition of DC ExtraTime during our AYTO coverage later this season, DCBLOG will retell the story of Ethan Diamond from Are You The One? Season 1 and his amazing comeback story of part of AYTO's longest perfect match, only married couple and the first to become parents to a new baby.
   As someone who's used to seeing and hearing these kinds of stories - both in the MTV Trifecta and outside of it, I always relish the opportunity to tell these stories of these people and showcase them in a light different from what the televised and edited version would suggest of them. They are of course uplifting and, in this world where stories of a negative light dominate the news lately, these stories provide a relief in showcasing incredible stories of those who experience great heartbreak but then make a remarkable comeback against all odds.

Make sure to follow DCBLOG all throughout the MTV Trifecta cycle as we bring you wall-to-wall coverage of Are You The One? Season 3, plus Challenge season 27 and season 31 of Real World. In addition to ExtraTime posts such as this dedicated edition, check out signature DC SocialPulse diaries of Twitter's reaction to the episodes, devoted Wraps and much more.
   As always, follow my dedicated live Twitter hub, DCNOW at @DC408DxNow for live and real-time tweets of AYTO 3, plus President's Cup golf before and after the episode on Wednesday, and starting Saturday real-time updates and more from Las Vegas. I'll also be posting pictures & more on Instagram @DC408Dxtr, Snapchat, Periscope, vine, Tumblr and more. And as always, you can drop me a line on Twitter @DC408Dxtr and here to leave me your comments on this ExtraTime special.

Again, hope you enjoyed this ExtraTime special on the great comeback story of Challenge host TJ Lavin. Make sure to join me on DCNOW for AYTO & golf tomorrow starting at 10PM ET/7PM PT, plus the Pulse recap of that AYTO episode here on Friday before the Las Vegas trip this weekend. For now, thanks for reading.

- I AM DC


Bibliography: Wikipedia, People Magazine, Cincinnati Enquirer, Las Vegas Sun, ESPN.com