‘One choice’: Former BMX Pro, Addict Tony Hoffman Shares a Powerful Story

From prison to professional BMX rider Tony Hoffman

Tony has been sober since May 17th, 2007

As a native of Clovis, California, Tony’s BMX career started in high school, and he was soon a top-ranked BMX amateur with multiple professional endorsements.

However, he had started drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana, and using prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and Oxycontin by his senior year. Addicted at such a young age, Tony’s life took a turn for the worse and he soon found himself homeless and strung out.

“It was a long process. Even at 12 years old, I looked up to Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley. In front of the media, they were cocky and overconfident, and I was already taking on that persona of just me, me, me-selfish. The bike kept me on the straight and narrow, but as I got older, my will not to drink and use drugs got set aside. I was 18, hadn’t been drunk or smoked up until that time, but then started associating myself with the wrong crowd. Eventually, I used drugs for five to six years, had been to rehab, and had been to jail once. I was on probation and at that point, was injecting methamphetamines, heroin, smoking crack, and abusing OxyContin…which ultimately led to the street. When you’re sleeping and walking the streets alone, it’s a place where you can’t share the pain, because you know why you’re there. You’re engulfed in the guilt, shame, and self-pity, all of these negative energies that choke you like a snake, a boa constrictor that would constrict you until you would explode.”

Then, in 2004, with his life continuing to spiral out of control, Tony committed an armed home invasion robbery. Found guilty, he was ultimately sent to prison in 2007.

In 2004 Tony committed a home invasion armed robbery and was ultimately sent to prison for two years in 2007. Tony had violated his probation, knows the depths of addiction, and understands the despair addicts go through as even a ten-year prison sentence threat could not stop him from using during his probation.

“The day before I was arrested, I was invited to church from a drug connection from the west side of town. I tell people that God revealed himself to Moses through a bush, so why couldn’t he use a drug dealer to help reveal himself to me? And that’s exactly what he did. I was invited to church and I needed that person to invite me because I hung out and bought my drugs on that side of town. I felt more comfortable with those people and felt like could trust those people more than the people in the area of more money where I came from. So, when he invited me, I was willing to go and I was ready because [I was] homeless and didn’t have clothes [at that time]. The pastor laid his hands on me and told me that God had favored me my whole life and in everything, I had done. A lot of emotion came over me because he didn’t know who I was and the guy from the west side didn’t know anything about me either, just that I brought money over and exchanged hands. [The pastor] told me that I didn’t have to worry anymore, that God would remove me from my addiction. Twenty-four hours later, I was arrested and yet my heart was saying, ‘I believe, I believe, I believe, this is real, this is real.’”

After paroling from prison in 2008, and with his addiction behind him, Tony began rebuilding his life’s purpose while he spent two years in prison. As soon as he was released, he used the positives and negatives of his life to get to where he is, today.

Hoffman set four major goals for himself upon release. He wanted to become a professional athlete, become a public speaker, start a non-profit organization and make the Olympics.

He began the check things off the list upon release. Within five months, he was in his first professional race. Meanwhile, he had his first public speaking engagement with a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group.

Hoffman also founded The Freewheel Project, a non-profit organization that mentors thousands of youths through action sports: BMX, skateboarding, and after-school programs.

The knee injury caused the Olympic dream to take a different turn, but Hoffman’s work with Crain still got him to Rio. In Rio, he described being overcome with emotion at simply touching down, and again later when he had the chance to watch Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin in the track 100-meter final

“I was emotional — not because I’m soft but because I’m grateful,” Hoffman said. “I’m so grateful every day just to wake up. I’m so grateful just to do the small things in life.

“Then when I get the chance to do something really special, it’s overwhelming.”

It’s a joy Hoffman carries with him as he’s on the road speaking. At a certain point, he realized that his life was a gift. Just like his friends, he could have come back through the door on a casket, but he feels the chance to reach others is now his purpose.

From Prison To The Olympics | Tony Hoffman Speech | Goalcast

“This microphone is the only reason I’m supposed to be alive,” Hoffman said.

“I walked through a door and couldn’t figure out how to get back through the other side,” Hoffman said. “There are only two ways: In a casket or by changing every single thing about your life.”

Today, Tony is a changed man and inspires so many to live their life with purpose. Tony has dedicated his life, to bringing awareness around the country, describing how dangerous prescription pill and heroin abuse are, as well as advocating a shift in thinking towards current addiction-recovery processes.

Sources: