Dave Mirra

David Michael "Dave" Mirra (April 4, 1974 – February 4, 2016DAVE MIRRA @ 23MAG BMX. 23mag.com) was an American BMX athlete. He was also a driver for Subaru Rally Team USA. He was born in Chittenango, New York.

Mirra held the record for most X-Games medals until being passed by Bob Burnquist at X Games Munich in 2013. Mirra has won medals in every X Games from when they started in 1995 up to 2008. He has won a total of 24 medals at the X Games.Dave Mirra. davemirra.com In 2008, he placed second in BMX Big Air and third in Rally Car Racing at the X Games.

He was known mainly as a vert ramp and park rider. He rode and was sponsored by Haro Bikes from the mid 1990s. He later started his own bike company, and rode those instead. In 2004, Mirra appeared on an episode of George Lopez. Mirra was a member of the team which won the 2014 Race Across America Four-Person Male (Under 50) category.

He also was the host for two seasons of MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge.

 Personal life and death 
Mirra and his wife, Lauren, had two daughters. In 2010, Mirra was sick with bacterial meningitis. After he recovered, he went back to rallying.

On February 4, 2016, Mirra died of suicide by a gunshot wound in Greenville, North Carolina. Police answering an emergency call found his body in a truck. He had been visiting friends in the area. Allen Thomas, the mayor of Greenville, said Mirra was "a great friend and wonderful human being".  He was 41 years old. After his death, an autopsy revealed that Mirra had been suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He became the first action sports athlete to be diagnosed with it.

References

Category:1974 births
Category:2016 deaths
Category:Businesspeople from New York (state)
Category:Sportspeople from New York (state)
Category:Sportspeople who committed suicide
Category:Suicides by firearm in the United States
Category:American racecar drivers
Category:American cyclists