Tony Hoffman With Real Talk on Pills
August 30, 2016 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
When I came back to BMX in 2009 I was in the beginning phases of reentry into society. I was paroling prison for a robbery charge I was convicted of that was drug related. I know that a lot of people are aware of my story, but some may not be. In 2002, after graduating high school, I became addicted to prescription painkillers. My addiction was kickstarted after my wisdom teeth were pulled and I was given a prescription of Vicodin for the pain. It was my first recollection I can vividly remember where I enjoyed the way pills made me feel. I was young, ignorant, and foolish to the dangers that prescription pills could have on a person’s life.
At 18 years old, I said to myself, “I’m just being a kid,” “I’m only trying what everyone else is trying.” The ignorance behind this thinking is really what opened the door for the hardest years of my life to take place. At this time in 2003 popping pills as a form of getting high was becoming an ever-popular thing among youth. It was more convenient than other ways of changing how the body felt and there was essentially a pill for every type of feeling. I was offered a chance to try a powerful and very commonly prescribed painkiller called Oxycontin. After trying Oxycontin, it seemed as if that was all my body craved after that day.
I was addicted to how I felt and the worst part was, I didn’t realize it was prescription strength heroin. Years later I would move on from pills to heroin, since heroin was cheaper and did the same thing that Oxycontin did.
After several years of living an absolute nightmare, sleeping on the streets, losing friends and family, and spending two years in prison, I was able to get ahold of my addiction— one day at a time.
Today I hold over nine years of sobriety and have spent most of my clean time devoted to preventing my mistakes in others through my action sports non-profit, Freewheel Project, or the public speaking I do across the country, sharing my personal story, helping spread awareness of substance abuse and inspiring audiences to make the most of their life choices.
It’s no secret that BMX is a sport of injuries. And with injury, often comes painkiller prescriptions. I am contacted frequently by people who were/are athletes and their injuries have lead them to abuse painkillers.
The question is always, “What do I do? I don’t know how to stop.” There are multiple avenues for getting clean, unfortunately, no route is easy and every route requires a heavy workload. The most effective way is giving yourself the reset switch/time so you can start over. And that requires some level of inpatient treatment. The biggest dilemma with addiction is that most people don’t understand it and are unaware of their options for getting help.
In my years of traveling to speak and working for community organizations and treatment centers around the country, I’ve built solid relationships for getting people the help they need and the resources required to make sure they are able to get in.
If you are someone who is in need of help, I always make myself available for advice and helping facilitate the help for you. If you are not a person in need of help I would still like to give you three important steps to consider when using pain medication or administering them to another.
1. Take only what you truly need. Often times doctors over-prescribe painkillers. The longer you take the opioid-based painkillers the more you are allowing the body to build a tolerance to the meds and begin creating a physical dependance on them. The physical dependance will likely lead to acute withdrawal symptoms when you discontinue use, but overtime this dependence can become very severe. It’s best to use the painkillers in the beginning phases when pain is highest, then work your way down to an over-the-counter option like ibuprofen.
2. Never let a minor administer the pills themselves. The biggest issue here is that you’re trusting the young person to take the right amount of pills. Avoid the opportunity for addiction to occur. I would also recommend locking up any pain medication and not allowing them to be freely taken by anyone in the household. It’s not uncommon for a guest to rummage through medicine cabinets of friends’ homes and steal their pain medication. I talked to a person who was stealing her best friend’s pain meds every Tuesday, when she and her husband went over there for dinner.
3. Dispose of leftover prescription when you are finished. DO NOT flush them down the toilet or throw them in the trash. Most communities around the United States now offer prescription pill disposal boxes. In Fresno County, where I am from, we have the “Lock It Up Project.” Our police stations all have mailboxes outside their doors to dump leftover prescription medications. Walgreens has installed “safe medication disposal” kiosks at 288 pharmacies across 21 states. I highly recommend getting rid of all medications in an official location, so they don’t fall into the wrong hands.
Not everyone who takes pain medication will become addicted. But we should not let this fact cause us to fail to take the proper precautions and safeguards. Addiction does not play favorites, anyone and everyone is capable of becoming addicted to prescription medication.
—Tony Hoffman
Top Photo: frankieleon, via Flickr. Original image was resized to fit the BMX News layout.
Links
About Tony: Tony Hoffman is a distinguished BMX coach and holds the Masters World #2 ranking, Executive Director of the Freewheel Project and well known around the United States for his work in substance abuse awareness field.
Tony Hoffman on Hitting Your Marks
January 4, 2016 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
My past few blog posts, I’ve focused on how technology is really a cornerstone of what I do with my athletes in terms of their training and racing performance. While I put a heavy focus on training smart, getting objective information and disciplining yourself in training, these things do not create results on the track. They can, however, unlock the potential for results to be achieved. Khalen Young once told me, “No one cares what your sprint times are, how many watts your putting out or how big your squat is when you get into the gate of a AA race. I might not put out as many watts as you, but I’ll cut you off on your second pedal.”
What he told me during that discussion has stuck with me and will continue too because it’s flat-out true. I’ve watched the fastest person get quartered and the strongest person get moto’d. In fact, I remember in 2010 at the Roseville National during pro practice I was beating Randy Stumpfhauser and Sam Willoughby to the first turn (I was A-Pro at the time) and the next day I got moto’d in A-Pro. Winning and/or doing well in BMX Racing goes well beyond a fine-tuned training regimen; the work must be done on the track and executing fundamentals like proper cornering are vital.
Despite there being eight people in a main event, there are often only a few people in the main who are “racers.” Let me explain what I mean by “racer.” Racers generally keep calm in every type of situation around the track. They have excellent peripheral vision and an uncanny ability to read what others are going to do during the race, then make their decisions based upon something they know will take place before it has happened. Racers set moves up one, two and even three straightaways ahead of time because everything they do around the track is calculated and flows like the sounds of a symphony. Most of all, racers understand where they belong in a corner to either protect their position or advance in the race. A racer’s deadliest strike is often made in a corner. The perfect example of a racer? Bubba Harris, arguably one of the greatest “racers” in the history of BMX.
Racing comes natural to some, while power and grunt come naturally to others. Racing might not be your strength, but the good news in all of this is, racing can be learned. When I’m working with athletes who submit race videos for review, or if I’m in person getting footage of the rider myself, a common phrase out of my mouth to them is “hitting the marks.” Think of marks in terms of a football game where the ball is being handed off to the running back. Each lineman has a mark to hit in order for the running back to be successful in gaining yards on the field. BMX racing is exactly the same, only we are in the play every time and our opponents are a lot more unpredictable, so our reads are critical to advancing.
Corner marks are the most critical marks to hit because a lot of passing is made in corners. Below, I will break down two totally different cornering scenarios. One, where the leader fails to hit their mark and ultimately costs them a grands win, and another of an Elite main at the Grands where three “racers” hit three different marks without compromising their overall track speed.
In the clip above, we have Jesse Welch in first and Team THoff athlete, Ryan Martin, in second (13-14 Open Main). Jesse has a comfortable two bike lead in the corner, but makes a fatal mistake I see all the time, especially in the amateur ranks, cutting the corner to soon. Corners are nothing more than giant curved ramps built to generate speed and just like pumping a transition on a skateboard in a half pipe, if you don’t execute it correctly with the proper timing, you end up losing speed. This is exactly what we see Jesse do, in route to the proper mark of the turn, he stopped three feet too soon and cut back to the third straight which eliminated his downward drive into the next straight.
Now take a look at Ryan Martin in second place. Ryan enters the turn low and ready to attack, he lets the turn pull him across and rides the top of the blue groove to about 3/4 of the turn before beginning his drive into the third straight. At this point, Ryan has a lot of turn that can be used as a downhill ramp to assist his acceleration. The gain in speed was excellent and the number one reason he made the pass on Jesse mid-way down the rhythm section. Jesse needed to continue across the turn before making his exit to hold onto his speed, he didn’t and it cost him. (Editor’s Note: Jesse shook off the Open class upset and won 14x)
Now, onto some AA Pro observations:
As little as it may appear going on here, there’s a bit more than one might think… Lets start with Joris. Essentially he has two objectives in this clip:
Close out Connor on the inside. And…
Maintain track speed with good drive in and out of the corner (over-protecting the inside would have cost him major exit speed). Looking at Connor…
You can see his first choice is to see if he can get underneath Joris but as quickly as he realizes it’s not open, you see him check up and fall in right behind Joris and getting to the top of the blue groove where he can generate exit speed. Connor is one hell of a racer and he knows that his next shot is either a pass down straight three or in the last turn.
Last, but not least, Sam’s choice is one to really take note of because, like Joris and Connor, Sam is one helluva racer. Sam, being all the way outside, is not presented with many options, so he makes his way to the top of the blue groove early in the turn and makes a direct-cut into the third straight. You might think of that move being silly because who wants to set themselves up on the outside of a straightaway? A pretty derned-smart racer in this scenario. Check this.
If Sam tucked in behind Connor he would merely be following and have nothing to work with. Sam knows Connor well enough to know Connor is thinking inside turn three go under Joris. So instead of following, he drives off the top (the top gives him a nice downward drive) of turn two early and takes a run at the outside with an objective to pass down the rhythm but I’m willing to bet he was shopping a high/low on Joris and Connor in the last turn if Connor went for it, much like Connor executed weeks before in Oldsmar as exampled below.
The fascinating thing about the Elite men clip from Grands is that all three racers were presented different options going into turn two and all made different line choices, but maintained their overall exit speed.
The next time you’re in a race or practice, think about your approach going in and coming out of a turn and ask yourself, “Am I generating speed or losing speed from this line?”
—Tony Hoffman
Links
Podcast: T-Hoff on Freewheel Project Camp
August 8, 2014 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
In our 99th episode of the Announcers Tower Podcast, we welcome Tony Hoffman back to the show to talk about the 2014 Freewheel Project Summer Camp. The eight-week session ended earlier this week with a graduation ceremony that awarded 96 Haro ZX/20 BMX Bikes to graduates.
In this interview, Tony talks about the three prongs of The Freewheel Project: Time on the BMX track, leadership and personal finance. We also discuss what happens with the campers’ BMX participation after the eight weeks are up.
Some stick around, but most don’t for a variety of reasons, but Tony cited the maintenance costs (getting to the track, weekly entry fees, etc) as one of the barriers he has seen that keep camp graduates from a longer time on the track. One bit of news that came in after we recorded the interview was that four of his grads from this year have already signed up for a USA BMX membership, and are moving into the Novice class at Woodward Park in Fresno (where the camp is held each year).
Tony also talks about the next Freewheel Project initiatives, and about his growing coaching program for performance BMXers.
Listen Now
Listen
iPhone Users: Paste this link into your device's browser: http://bmxurl.com/at99i
Update: Tony Hoffman on The Freewheel Project
April 9, 2013 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
On February 28, 2011, BMX News did a podcast with Tony Hoffman. In the riveting interview (linked below), Tony told us of a series of missteps with drugs and alcohol, that ultimately landed him in a prison cell for two years. By the time we caught up with him, he worked hard to turn his life around, and was looking forward to devoting his life to a new passion: helping kids avoid the mistakes he made.
Back then, “Project Freewheel,” as he called it, at its inception, was one week old. The vision was very much a blank slate, with possibility and pitfalls waiting to be written. Tony has since developed The Freewheel Project into a powerful force for good, speaking to an audience of thousands in schools; and conducting an annual summer camp for at-risk kids who need a positive role model in their lives. Tony has the unique perspective of having the experience of the struggle to back up the advice given.
BMX News contributor Alex “Elvis” Kienlen caught up with Tony, to get a present-day look at how it’s going, and what lies ahead for The Freewheel Project, and Tony’s mission. It’s a great story, unfolding right before our eyes, and we are excited to bring it to you.
Now, Alex takes over with the questioning:
Please describe The Freewheel Project (TFP):
FWP is a 501c3 public charity youth non-profit that uses BMX as a way to engage with youth and pass on life leadership skills such as decisionmaking, work ethic, community service, and positive & rewarding physical activity (BMX racing).
We hold a summer camp while kids are out of school. We provide bikes and helmets to kids who do not have them, and have sessions throughout the summer. This year, we will have a three-part substance abuse curriculum (alcohol, marijuana & prescription pills), a virtual banking system, thanks to our partnership with Fresno County Federal Credit Union where the kids earn “paychecks” each week. Through that module, they learn how to spend, save and share their money. They can spend their earnings at the FWP store that will sell hats, shirts, water bottles etc. Kids will also engage in the community service portion of TFP and work within the program, staffing trash pickup, water replenishment etc.
The kids will be scored in each module and those eight-years and up that pass all of the test at the end of the camp will be awarded a free Haro Bicycle. This year we are giving away 200.2 model bikes… That aint no department store bike. These kids are leaving with dope whips.
Ultimately, TFP will be a year-round mentoring program that engages with at-risk or continuation school kids working to change behavior patterns, tutor for schooling and offer performance-based incentives to travel with the Freewheel Project BMX team to national races to compete. The obvious goal here is to get these kids back on track (no pun intended) and I believe the BMX bike and BMX racing is a golden opportunity to fuel that change.
How did you come to create TFP?
I actually had the name “The Freewheel Project” while I was serving a prison sentence at Avenal State Prison in California. I meditated day and night, trying to find my purpose for experiencing all that I have, and miraculously surviving. I knew that the BMX bike was the tool, my story was the message… what I didn’t know was the programatic portion. This came after my first year (of the project) where I just invited kids from my church to come and ride for free with me (we provided bikes and helmets then also). Once the kids were there, my vision began to expand, and I learned how we could make things more efficient. Kids are my passion, every time I see a young boy or girl I see a champion or someone who can rise-above obstacles. Our kids today are in dire need of positive role models in their lives, someone for them to say “I want to be like them.” I’m trying to be that for the kids I interact with, not in just word but in deed as well. The Freewheel Project is how I try to do that.
The non-profit side of the FWP was inspired by a great mentor of mine, Mike Slaydon. He is founder of “Off The Front.” He is trying to minimize childhood obesity in low-income communities (as part of his program, he will give away 1200 BMX bikes this year). A Christian man also, he advised me to go 501c3 so I could eventually take a salary from the FWP, thus allowing me to devote my all of my time to what I believed my purpose was in life. Now, that can be taken the wrong way, but what some people may not know is a non-profit is still a business, and the amount of time and hours invested in getting this thing where I envision it is no different than any other job out there. The Freewheel Project just happens to be in the life-changing business. To date, I have not drawn $1 for any of my work with the FWP– only when I’m public speaking because we just don’t have that capability to do so currently.
How much of you is TFP, and how much of it is you?
That’s a great question.
You know… I’ve been told by mentors, “you must create a legacy, and that is only possible by making this program stand with you not here.” The unfortunate side to that is right now the FWP is ALL me in terms of the passion behind my purpose and the vision of my direction. I don’t want it to be that way forever, I want this to be a program tracks can adopt nationwide as a way to attract new youthful riders that love BMX’n.
With everyday that passes TFP is becoming more of me… I can’t control the shifts in my life the universe presents, all I know is that when these shifts take place, there are doors, and those doors lead us into our future. It is clear to me that my role as a competitive BMXer is ending, as more and more continues to progress with the FWP. I’m at ease with it, but I have a couple goals I’d like to hit as a racer before I move forward as a full-time mentor.
I understand its existence reflects a conscious decision about your life, could you share that process?
Without a doubt, it does. It is my belief that every person experiences major trials in their life, no matter what. It is also my belief that we, who survive these trials, or find the other end of the tunnel, must then turn around and shout into the tunnel for others to follow. We become a beacon for those still in the tunnel, a second wind and a hope they may have been looking for, but not know was there.
For me, that process started because God knows I needed a lot of work before I could begin to help others. While in prison, I began to shift my thinking from negative to positive; my behavior from irresponsible to responsible. That happened, first in small ways, like getting up in the morning instead of sleeping till 5PM, organizing my belongings, cleaning up my language, training every day, giving it 100%–even though I was still in prison and didn’t need to train at all for BMX because, afterall, I couldn’t even ride a bike yet. I avoided trouble in prison because I knew my surroundings would influence my behavior. I really got serious with change, and stuck to it.
Without that change, my message would be void. Without that change, I wouldn’t know how to be successful. And now that my change has created success, to a certain degree, I am able to share that with the kids.
You’re doing a lot of speaking engagements for TFP, I guess that reflects that has been well-received? How’s the reception when you’re speaking, people coming up to you afterward and all, what are you hearing?
Speaking to 2,200 students, packing a gymnasium at one time, is like no high I’ve felt before. I’ve used every drug with needles, jump 40-foot berm jumps, been in main events with world champions, national champions, and Olympic medalists alike, and nothing comes close to staring into the eyes of a young man or woman that is captivated by the power of your story.
Locking down a room of that capacity, to the point you could hear a whisper is just crazy. These kids are listening, and relating to what I’m saying. Afterward is generally an ambush– some people want to shake my hand, many want pictures, often kids share personal stories with me about their family or someone close to them they know struggling with addiction.
When hundreds of people tweet you after a speech, telling you that you are the greatest speaker they’ve ever heard, their lives have been changed or inspired, it’s a great feeling. Honestly though, I don’t care about all the glamour… I was given a gift to speak, I didn’t create the ability to do it. It was there because my story is very real and these kids need to know whats ahead of them in life if they make the wrong choice– and the flip side: the right choice.
Is TFP turning people on to racing BMX?
It is, and it isn’t. Last year, the summer camp did not fall below 100 participants each week, we capped-out on week four at 145 kids. Fully 90% of these kids are new to BMX and the BMX track, and of the 145, 80 of them did not have their own equipment. Some of the parents who have money find themselves in the sport directly after the camp is over, others are there to earn a free bicycle. Promoting the involvement with BMX racing hasn’t been easy with our track director situation in Fresno. I’m hoping this year we can do a better job of encouraging people to get memberships. One of my goals is to spot potential talent at the camp, recruit them, and use funding from TFP to support their racing.
If somebody’s going out to the BMX track for the first time, having heard you speak, what — best case — is on their mind when they go out?
That BMX Racing is such a wonderful thing, they or their children/grandchildren enjoy.
Somebody’s out at the track for the first time…they don’t know you, TFP, none of it, and somebody says “Go ask that guy,” pointing at you. What are you going to tell this prospective racer?
I always just say.. “Grab a bike, put on a helmet and give it a try”
After that, I follow up with a few pointers for them on the track.. At Fresno kids need a lot of encouragement most of the time because of the steepness of the jumps. Once they go at it slow, they pick it up quick. After that it’s really up to the parents to bring them back, if the kids love it. But back to our track director situation, properly selling them on BMX Racing is tough right now!
You’ve been racing BMX how long? What, in those years, do people get wrong in their heads, that they need to re-tune their thinking about?
This will be my ninth season racing believe it or not (I’m a baby out there in terms of experience).. should of been 10th but I blew my knee out.
First… PARENTS… SLOW DOWN for goodness sakes. Let your kids have fun.. The frame weight isn’t going to win a race and teams are not necessary. So often, parents are just way-overkill and jumping from team to team before their kids are even experts. Then, when they turn expert, they just burn every team for the next best deal.
As a rider. I think it all depends on what BMX means to you. Not everyone is out to beat Maris Strombergs or Marc Willers and that’s the great thing about our sport–you don’t have to be what you don’t want to be. But if you DO want to get to the top, it’s all about enjoying the process. Too-often, I see riders cussing, throwing helmets, crying etc over a bad race, instead of crossing the finish line acknowledging that the lap may not of been what you were looking for, but there is always the next lap to improve what needs to be improved. Time and work have this way of smoothing things out and it’s expedited when you put things into the proper prospective.
What do people get wrong about The Freewheel Project?
I’m not sure about this one.. I guess I haven’t heard what the critics have to say. One time, one of those fake twitter accounts said that I was giving away bicycles to try and con kids into believing in Jesus. I’m open about my faith, but I do not talk about God or persuade kids into God one-bit during my summer camp. These are kids who need guidance, not a sermon. God will find them in time. Meanwhile, I’ll be obedient and do God’s work with these kids.
And, what do people get RIGHT about TFP right off the bat?
That it’s a work our community needs. It’s a new way of reaching out to kids, and giving them a positive message.
No doubt, TFP has had an impact on you. Now, as you’re nosing into the gate for a moto, how does the world look different from when it did in your pre-TFP days?
The world is, and has never been, the same. I don’t want to say that it’s taken my racing edge away from me but I know in Reno this year, which was my first race back in 15 months (because of my complicated ACL recovery) I was under a lot less stress to perform. This will benefit me as my skills sharpen again because you always do better when you are relaxed. At heart, I’m there for the kids, and that makes me want to do well. I realize how blessed I am to be able to get into a gate and race. Before any of my issues happened, it was all about me. I could never put things into the right perspective, because I wasn’t grateful for the small things that matter most.
You went through, let’s call it, a “reformation” of yourself. And I’m assuming their was a gap between that reformation and TFP. What went on in your head where you understood the need for TFP?
The main portion of the “reformation” was in prison. The meat and potatoes of what you see/hear today is a biproduct of my work done for two years locked up. The second-half of that reformation was getting to AA pro. I felt that for my message and the FWP to hold legitimacy I needed to make it to AA pro which took me 1.5 yrs to do after getting out of prison. Prior to my first back in 2009 I had not touched a bike, in any form, since 2002. This whole time I was racing I knew the need for the FWP because, “What if there is another Tony out there… A kid with massive amounts of talent and all the wrong role models?”
Tell us about your present-day sponsors; those who help you make it happen.
Always first, Jesus Christ for the guidance and direction to my life. Mom, Dad & Brother (My factory sponsors), DB and Haro Bicycles, Nema, Bell Helmets, BOX, Promax, GU Energy, SRM Training Systems, Freelap Timing Systems, Gaerne shoes, D-City, Lost Reality.
Tony Hoffman Speech to Buchanan High School Seniors (March 2012)
Original Tony Hoffman Podcast on bmxnews.org (February 2011)
Photos courtesy of Tony Hoffman, unless otherwise credited.
Win T-Hoff’s Bike!
June 14, 2012 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
We are big Tony Hoffman fans here at the BMX News command-and-control center. Back in April, we posted about one of his regular talks to high school students in and around Fresno, CA. Tony does this as part of his “Freewheel Project” youth outreach program, and we are always stoked to hear what he has cookin as the next click on the freewheel of life.
This week, Tony announced, on his website (link below), that he was starting a social media challenge for his fans. You have to watch the video on his site to get the full skinny on how to participate, so check the link below.
The whip he’s giving away is one of his actual race-rides, with AA-level parts…and rings the register at about $2000. News is always impressed by T-Hoff’s desire to give back, spreading the word about the utter destruction drugs will inevitably cause those straying over the line. Staying on the straight & narrow is the way…via BMX Racing.
And if you have not yet listened to his talk to the Senior class at Buchanan High, take some time to do that now…it is something not to be missed (see link below)!
Get on over there and jump in!
Tony Hoffman Speaks at Buchanan High
T-Hoff Speaks Truth to High Schoolers
April 26, 2012 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
On February 28, 2011, BMX News welcomed Tony Hoffman on episode 35 of our Announcers Tower Podcast. In the 40-minute interview, Tony spoke, in detail, about his long battle with addiction, and his road back to the track from a prison cell. It’s been a little over a year, and T-Hoff has been ticking off goals on his daily planner, mostly concerning his outreach ministry, The Freewheel Project.
Part of that work is going into schools all around Central and Northern California to talk to kids about “decisions.” It is not a “say no to drugs” talk, as much as a “this is what can happen with ONE bad decision–so choose carefully.” The video below was recorded at “Senior Day” at Buchanan High School yesterday, April 25, 2012. It’s 30-minutes long, but a very eye-opening program, which we think every audience over 13 should listen to (there are a few instances of language in the talk, so parental discretion is advised for audiences younger than 13).
Nice job, T-Hoff! We are anxious to hear more about The Freewheel Project, and your initiative to give away 100 bikes, complete with USA BMX memberships and 12 days of racing/coaching.
And to our readers who may have the means for charitable contributions, we know Tony would love to hear from you–it’s a great cause on many levels (helping at-risk youth, spreading the word about BMX racing, and providing a mentorship and role-model component for many kids who may not have that in their daily lives). You can contact Tony via his Websites (below)
There are not a lot of visuals to the video, so if you’re rather listen to audio only, as a Podcast…
iPhone users: Paste the URL below into your phone’s browser
http://www.bmxnews.org/podcasts/tony_hoffman_buchanan_high.mp3
If you are in the Clovis, CA area, The Freewheel Project is doing a benefit concert tomorrow night, with Donny Robinson as guest speaker, and musical guest “Diamonds in the Rough.”
T-Hoff’s “Project Freewheel” Gets Traction
May 17, 2011 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Back on February 28, BMX News posted a Podcast with Napa Valley Crush rider, Tony Hoffman. It was a compelling interview, with Tony talking about his road back to BMX racing after years of following the wrong path, using drugs and ultimately resorting to a life of crime to fuel his habit. A multi-year stint in a California prison and, while there, epiphany of faith, helped Tony turn his life around 180 degrees.
He came back to BMX racing literally within hours of leaving prison walls, and he has been on his bike nonstop ever since. His experience over the past several years puts him in a unique position to help young people stay on the right track. To hear Tony tell it, it isn’t just young people that could use that help on occasion, and he’s there for them.
Shortly after our interview was recorded (and shortly before it was posted), Tony launched “Project Freewheel” (which has now evolved into Freewheel Ministries), to use BMX racing as a means to give his “flock” (for lack of a better word) a positive outlet to direct their energy and attention.
Above is a photo from yesterday’s meeting of the group. Only the second official outing, Tony and his volunteers drew 60 kids out to the Fresno BMX track for an afternoon of riding, and learning the important lessons Tony is speaking on.
BMX News promised a follow-up on Tony’s Progress as part of the February interview, and we will be doing just that this weekend in Nashville. But as an appetizer, we wanted to let you know about Tony’s awesome program, and how he has taken his passion for BMX racing, and channeled it into doing something that helps the sport, his members, and society, as a whole.
If you haven’t caught Tony’s interview, listen now:
Link
Tony Hoffman Blogs About Time at OTC
April 5, 2011 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Last month, BMX NEWS brought you a Podcast with Tony Hoffman. In the interview, Tony was very candid about getting back into BMX racing after rebuilding his life, following a series of bad decisions. These self-admittedly bad decisions ultimately landed him in a California prison for nearly two years.
It has now been a little more than two years since his two years inside prison walls were over, and Tony has done an impressive job of turning his life around.
To hear Tony tell it, his return to the righteous path has had its share of setbacks, personal doubt and confidence-building moments where he proved to himself that he COULD do what his remaining inner demons tried to convince him he could not. These moments would serve as a solid foundation on which to build all the tomorrows to come.
It was with this mental toughness and gusto that he showed up at the Athlete’s Entrance to the US Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista on March 28 for a five-day training camp with other Elites in the USAC Program.
In a five-post series, Tony, through his thoffonline.com blog, takes us through the trepidation and reluctance of staring up the big hill for the first time (on the rider’s side of the fence), and ultimately to overcoming the obstacles that may have sent him packing on day two, but for his previous experience with tackling larger challenges.
It is a great read, which we thoroughly enjoyed. We held off in posting about it, so you could read all five posts in rapid succession.
Use this link to the first post. You’ll find the others in the Nav Bar.
You should make Tony’s blog a regular stop.
Podcast: Tony Hoffman’s Dramatic Ride
February 28, 2011 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Over the past 18 months or so, we have seen Tony Hoffman make a comeback on the track that has taken him from mid-pack in the A Pro class, to the AA semi at the recent ABA Gator Nationals–and the season is just getting started. Many of us are fans of his website, thoffonline.com, where he pens thought-provoking articles, written from the riders’ point of view, as well as whip checks on the top Elite hardware on the track.
But for all the success and moving forward Tony has enjoyed recently, the road that got him back to the track was a tough one. It is a tale of life dreams gone off the rails, getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, making ill-conceived decisions, and ultimately ending up at the crossroads, as an inmate in a Central California prison.
In this episode of Announcers Tower, THoff says “my life is an open book.” Tony makes good his promise by answering some tough, pointed questions, taking us through the lowest lows, and how, through faith, he has rebooted his life.
He tells us about “Project Freewheel–” a Christian outreach program he started this past weekend in Fresno, CA, which uses BMX racing, and the laser-like focus required to succeed, as a means to head-off kids moving down the wrong path.
And, Tony puts his opinion to several questions facing the sport today.
Whether you regularly listen to Announcers Tower, or this is your first time, we know you will find Tony’s story as compelling as we did.
Listen Now
Link
We will be talking about the interview, and Tony will answer questions from listeners on the Vintage Forum.
