BMX rider Dave Mirra, who for years dominated his sport even as he helped others embrace it, has died at age 41. Police in Greenville, N.C., say they found Mirra "sitting in a truck with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound."
Police found Mirra in a parked vehicle shortly after he had visited friends in Greenville, where he had lived for years as an active member of the community. Mirra is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The news shocked sports fans and led Greenville Mayor Allen Thomas to mourn "a great friend and wonderful human being who touched the lives of so many around the world with his gift."
Today, Thomas said, "We love you, Dave Mirra. We're going to miss you."
On the bike, Mirra had the ability to soar. His attention to detail in training allowed him to make intricate tricks look inevitable. He was a star from a young age — and in 2000, he pulled off something in a contest that had previously only been talked about: A double backflip!
Mirra's athletic gifts resulted in 14 gold medals at the X Games — an international competition where he won medals every year from 1995 to 2008. (He was forced to miss the 2006 games due to injury.) For a sense of how integral Mirra was to his sport, consider that the X Games were first held in the summer of 1995.
Those achievements, and his engaging personality, also brought Mirra fame, from appearances on David Letterman's show to having two video games named for him, and many appearances on ESPN and MTV, where he hosted two seasons of the network's Real World/Road Rules Challenge.
npr.org
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