Dave Mirra is the first extreme athlete to be diagnosed with CTE - chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This is colloquially known as "footballer's disease", as several former professional players from the National Football League suffered from this disease before committing suicide.

In a 2015 study, Boston University was able to detect CTE in around 96 percent of the autopsied brains of deceased NFL players. The disease is only detectable after death and shows symptoms such as dementia, depression and memory loss. Autopsies of the brains of CTE patients reveal special protein deposits in certain parts of the brain, as was the case with Mirra.

Dave Mirra suffered numerous injuries during his time as a BMX pro, including countless concussions. As a 19-year-old, Mirra was hit by a car and suffered a fractured skull.

In an interview with the TV channel ESPN, Mirra's widow Lauren talks about the change in character, the CTE diagnosis and the legacy of the extreme athlete. Mirra is survived by his wife and two daughters.