Jayden “Jayo” Archer.Photo:Jayo Archer/Instagram

Motocross Star and X Games Medalist Jayo Archer Dead at 27 After Accident While Practicing Triple Backflip

Jayo Archer/Instagram

Archer died on Wednesday morning while practicing a triple backflip in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, according toESPN. Nitro Circus, an actions sports collective of which Archer was a member, confirmed his death in a statement onInstagram.

“The Nitro Circus family is mourning the loss of Jayo Archer. Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & determination. He pushed what was possible on a dirt bike to heights never seen before. A positive influence to those around him. And above all else a great human being and friend to us all,” their statement read.

Archer worked as an assistant mechanic for Nitro Circus for years before performing in his first show in 2012, according to ESPN.

In an interview following the milestone accomplishment, Archer said he had worked on achieving it for years.

“I cannot describe this feeling. This is so much more than a competition and a trick to me. I’ve dedicated my whole life for the last three years doing this,” he said in avideo shared on the Nitro Circus YouTube page. “I’ve had a lot of obstacles and broken bones and knockouts, and I would do it 100 times over to relive that moment again.”

Archer was last seen performing a triple backflip during a Nitro Circus Live Show in Jay, Oklahoma, in June 2023, per CBS Sports.

Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus co-founder, told ESPN that Archer’s death “really hits home.”

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“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,” Pastrana said.

“He’d get up every morning at 4 a.m. and go to the gym before work so he could ride his dirt bike,” he 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.”

source: people.com