Tony Hoffman
Dean Brown | The Lima News
DELPHOS — Tony Hoffman returned Monday to Delphos St. John’s High School. He first spoke on March of 2020, two days before the school closed for COVID. He returned to speak again to students from both Delphos St. John’s and Delphos Jefferson.
On December 13, 2008, Tony Hoffman was paroled by the California Department of Corrections after serving a two-year sentence for a drug-related robbery. While incarcerated in Wasco State Prison, Tony set four goals: Race BMX professionally, go to the Olympics, start a non-profit called the Freewheel Project, and become a professional mental health and substance abuse speaker.
Hoffman shared his personal story of recovery and how he got to where he is today.
During his senior year at Clovis High School he was featured on the cover of BMXer Magazine, and was sponsored by Fox Racing, Spy Sunglasses and Airwalk Shoes. On the surface, Tony’s path seemed destined for stardom. However, in reality, Tony experienced crippling anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Tony’s substance use began during his senior year, leading to the deterioration of his mental health and opioid addiction soon followed.
A life of addiction, crime, homelessness and incarceration became his reality. After being in prison, he became a world class athlete, won five pro races, and was offered a spot in an Olympic Development camp at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. He established the pH Wellness center to help others with substance abuse.
Hoffman shared a statistic that he encountered prior to a speaking engagement: Sixty-eight percent of kids who get involved in using nicotine products, marijuana, alcohol and other drugs have been victims of serious trauma.
“The reality is that each and every one of us needs to start understanding how mental health is connected to our behavior. So when we see peers that are struggling, we don’t push them away. We invite them in because connectedness and purpose is the answer to the whole solution and we can be a part of that solution if we start waking up to how this whole thing is connected.”
While in prison, Hoffman found an inscription written in pencil that he took to heart.
“Be careful what you think because your thoughts become your words. Be careful what you say because your words become your actions. Be careful what you do because your actions become your habits. Be careful what you make a habit because your habits become your character. And your character becomes your destiny.”
This became his blueprint for recovery. His struggles are very real, but through personal experience and a conscious effort to make a change, Hoffman has overcome many of the faults from his past.
Matt Weiczel’s reaction to Hoffman’s message was, “This could happen to anyone, you know, where you may think you have a positive environment, but you still end up making bad decisions toward the wrong path. Maybe you should be talking to someone instead of keeping it in because you could end up doing something that you would greatly regret in the future.”
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
