Tyler Duckworth, who competed on several seasons of MTV’s The Challenge, has died at 44.
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Duckworth’s mother, Joni, announced his death Thursday, Aug. 13, in a Facebook post. She said her son died earlier in the week and that his cause of death had not been determined, according to Variety.
“My son, Tyler, passed away earlier this week,” she wrote. “Cause of death has yet to be determined. I will post on Facebook about services as soon as his dad and I figure it out.”
Duckworth died Tuesday after reportedly being found unresponsive in a bathroom in North Dakota, where he had been living in recent years, according to The U.S. Sun. The outlet reported that his death was classified as unattended, meaning that no one witnessed it.
Duckworth had also recently undergone surgery, although it remains unclear whether the procedure was connected to his death.
His death comes less than two weeks after his final public appearance at a Challenge Mania event in Minneapolis on July 31. Duckworth shared photos from the gathering on Instagram alongside fellow Challenge veterans Rachel Robinson, Brad Fiorenza, Tina Barta and Mark Long.
“@challengemaniapodcast always knows how to bring the BEST of the BEST together,” Duckworth wrote. “So proud to represent my hometown of Minneapolis along with these other challenge legends.”
Scott Yager, co-host of the Challenge Mania podcast, was with Duckworth at the event and remembered him as a memorable presence.
“We are incredibly blessed to have spent some time with him just a few days ago in Minneapolis at Challenge Mania on July 31,” Yager told PEOPLE. “Like he did every day, he put a smile on everyone’s face and lit up the room with his infectious energy and incredible stories.”
“He was truly one of a kind,” Yager added.
Derrick Kosinski, another Challenge Mania co-host and former competitor, also paid tribute to Duckworth, recalling their time together on All Stars 2 and Duckworth’s accomplishments in the franchise.
Duckworth made his Challenge debut in 2006. He won Cutthroat in 2010 and Rivals in 2011 before returning to compete on All Stars 2 in 2021.
Among his notable moments was his elimination victory over Johnny Bananas during “Cutthroat.” He also faced Chris “CT” Tamburello in a lengthy elimination before ultimately winning the season.
