Jayden “Jayo” Archer, a pioneering athlete and X Games medalist renowned for his triple backflip in competition died at 27 Wednesday while practicing his signature trick in Melbourne, Australia, ESPN reported.
Archer’s relentless pursuit of excellence made him a cherished figure within the Australian motocross circle and Nitro Circus, the adrenaline-fueled action sports crew founded by Travis Pastrana. He was committed to pushing the sport’s boundaries, often without the lure of significant rewards, according to ESPN.
Motocross Star and X Games Medalist Jayo Archer Dead at 27 After Accident While Practicing Triple Backflip https://t.co/gtvHodoa9h
— People (@people) February 22, 2024
Pastrana reflected on Archer’s impact on the sports world following the accident. “This really hit home,” Pastrana told ESPN. “Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren’t a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks.”
“He’d get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work so he could ride his dirt bike,” Pastrana continued. “When he came to Maryland to train, he stayed at my house and was an incredible role model to my kids. He was a great human first, a hard worker second and a bad motherf—er third.” (RELATED: Famous BMX Biker Dead Following Motocross Crash At Age 29)
Archer etched his name in the annals of motocross history by executing the first triple backflip in a competitive setting at the Nitro World Games in Brisbane, Australia Nov. 2022. This feat was the culmination of three years of relentless training, marked by numerous setbacks and injuries, a journey Archer himself described as profoundly transformative, ESPN stated.
“I cannot describe this feeling,” Archer said after executing the trick. “This is so much more than a trick to me. I’ve dedicated my entire life the last three years to this moment. There were a lot of obstacles and broken bones and knockouts, and I would do it 100 times over to relive that moment again.”