MTV TJ Lavin and his family in 2018.
Fans of MTV’s “The Challenge” are familiar with the popular host, TJ Lavin. Thomas Joseph Lavin, known as TJ, is back for the 37th season of the show. The BMX rider has been hosting “The Challenge“ for 26 seasons now, since the 11th season back in 2005.
TJ is a 43-year-old Las Vegas native who has made a career out of dirt bike racing and jumping as well as hosting “The Challenge.” He’s well-known for his direct comments to competitors on the show who give up on challenges or don’t compete at a high standard. While fans are familiar with TJ’s history on “The Challenge,” they may not know as much about his life off the show.
Here’s what you need to know about TJ Lavin’s family:
1. He Has Been Married to Roxanne Siordia Since November 2, 2012
TJ married his longtime partner, Roxanne Siordia, on November 2, 2012. The two had been together for almost eight years before their marriage, and in fact, they got married on the same day that they met, exactly eight years later.
Roxanne is just as adventurous and into the outdoors as he is, and they post frequent photos of themselves traveling, hiking, and doing different activities together. She is a nutritionist and fitness coach who runs her own business in their home city of Las Vegas.
2. He Has an Adopted Daughter Named Raquel
TJ doesn’t have any kids of his own, but he is the step-father and adoptive father of Raquel, Roxanne’s daughter from a previous relationship. He is a proud father to 21-year-old Raquel, posting frequent updates about her life and sharing their adventures together.
In an interview in 2018, TJ said of Raquel “She’s an amazing girl with so much empathy and compassion for everyone. She likes to surf, wake-surf, snowboard and travel. She currently pays for her own hair school at Paul Mitchell here in Vegas by working two jobs: TruFusion (a Yoga and Pilates studio) and Whole Foods.”
3. They Have a Lot of Animals
It’s safe to say that TJ and his family love animals. They have at least three dogs and one cat, and he posts frequent pictures of his animals on social media. TJ and his wife are both vegans, and they are outspoken on social media about their love of animals.
He has posted quite a few funny videos of himself playing guitar with his dog Hanky howling along beside him.
4. He Is Very Supportive of His Family on Social Media
TJ frequently posts about his family, especially his nieces’ successes in athletics. In one post from 2019, he wished his niece Aspen a happy birthday, referring to her as a “future UFC champ” and sharing a photo of her throwing a roundhouse kick.
He shared another photo of his niece Justice and her team after they won a tournament. He wrote: “So proud of my niece for winning her tourney this weekend!!! She has a LOT of drive to be good and doesn’t quit learning to be better… You’re awesome J.”
He also shared a photo of his cousin singing in a video. He captioned it: “My cousin is killing it follow her and watch her grow! She’s a badass…”
5. He Is Close With His Parents & Sister
He is quite close to his parents and his sister Brooke.
After a terrible BMX accident in 2010 left him in a medically induced coma for nine days, his mother Barbara Lavin told People in an interview “it’s killing me.”
She continued, “It’s very hard to see him like that. He doesn’t know where he is. I’ll say, ‘Mom’s here, squeeze my hand,’ and he will sometimes. Not always, but sometimes. He knows when Mom is here, he knows when his girlfriend is here. He squeezes her hand. It’s not all the time.”
On November 14, TJ wrote on Instagram, “So proud of my mom. Haven’t seen her for a couple months and she’s still killing it on her weight loss journey. She’s lost 82lbs intermittent fasting (not just the last two months of course). She’s looking happy and healthy! Couldn’t be prouder… Thanks mom and keep up the great work!”
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