GENTRY -- Tony Hoffman will speak in the auditorium at Gentry High School at 9 a.m. for students and again at 7 p.m. for the general public on Friday regarding alcohol and drug addiction and the tolls it takes on one's life.
His story is full of redemption because he has seen some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. He is the founder and director of the Freewheel Project, a non-profit organization that mentors thousands of youth through action sports: BMX, skateboarding and after-school programs. The Freewheel Project focuses on teaching kids leadership skills and making healthy life choices, including substance abuse prevention, each year.
His BMX career started in high school and he was a top-ranked BMX amateur with multiple endorsements. As a native of Clovis, Calif., he attended Clovis High School but started drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and using prescription painkillers such as Vicodin and oxycontin in his senior year. His life took a turn for the worse, becoming addicted at such a young age. He lost everything.
In 2004, Hoffman committed a home-invasion armed robbery and was ultimately sent to prison for two years in 2007. He violated his probation and knows the depths of addiction and understands the despair addicts go through since even a 10-year prison sentence threat could not stop him from using during his probation.
He began rebuilding his life's purpose while spending two years in prison. As soon as he was released, he used the positive and negatives of his life to get to where he is today. He has been sober since May 17, 2007.
After being paroled from prison on Dec. 13, 2008, Hoffman started living out his dream, with his addiction behind him. He is a former BMX elite professional and placed second at the 2016 World Championships in Medellin, Colombia, in the Masters Pro class. He is a 2016 Rio Olympic Games coach, with Women's BMX professional Brooke Crain in his lineup.
Today, Hoffman is a changed man and inspires many to live their life with purpose. He has dedicated his life to bringing awareness around the country by describing how dangerous prescription pill and heroin abuse are, as well as advocating a shift in thinking towards the current addiction-recovery processes.
The event is sponsored by Gentry Public Schools, Gentry Chamber of Commerce, Northwest Health Systems, Flintco and Garver Engineering. Admission to the program is free and all are invited to attend.
Community on 08/22/2018