Tyler Duckworth, who won "The Challenge" twice, died Tuesday in North Dakota. His competition castmates remember him as "a joy to be around" and a person with "vibrant energy".
Johnny "Bananas" Devenanzio posted a tribute video to Duckworth on Instagram on Sunday. The two launched their reality television careers together in the early twenties on "The Real World: Key West" in 2006. Devenanzio and Duckworth also competed together and won "The Challenge: Rivals" in 2011.
"You were more than a friend. More than a roommate," Devenanzio wrote in the caption of the post. "You were the brother I never had. Rest in peace, Tyler. You will always be family".
Brad Fiorenza wrote: "I am so grateful I got to see you on this day. My thoughts and prayers go out to your family. May your incredible soul live forever in the lives you touched". Derrick Kosinski, who competed on the show and was cohost of the "Challenge Mania" podcast, told People magazine: "We shared a room on 'All Stars 2' and he was an extraordinary person. His death is very sad. He was always a bright light and an incredible joy to be around. He also beat me in an elimination on the original 'Cutthroat'. And that was after he eliminated Johnny Bananas in the famous 'Back Up Off Me' elimination. He competed head to head with CT for 40 minutes! He doesn't get enough recognition for that. And he won that season. And then he won again with Johnny on 'Rivals'".
Tina Barta, a participant on "Road Rules: South Pacific" and several seasons of "The Challenge", wrote: "We shared an experience that very few people would fully understand, and at some point, it became more than a show or an adventure. It became friendship. It became history. It became family".
