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NATCHEZ — Tony M. Hoffman, at one time one of the highest-ranked BMX bike racers in the world, served two years in a California penitentiary for a drug-related robbery. He was released in 2008.

Since that time, Hoffman has dedicated his life to speaking to young people and those who need to turn their lives away from addiction.

Hoffman was in Natchez on Wednesday, speaking to students at Adams County Christian School and Cathedral School about his journey and how they can avoid going down the same slippery slope that led him to drug addiction when he was their age, and later to prison.

Hoffman’s visit to talk to Natchez children was sponsored by Kevin Wilson, Natchez businessman and president of the Adams County Board of Supervisors, and his wife, Dana Wilson.

Students listened with rapt attention for more than an hour as Hoffman told his story.

Hoffman said that during his senior year at Clovis High School in California, he was featured on the cover of BMXer Magazine and sponsored by Fox Racing, Spy Sunglasses, and Airwalk Shoes. He said he was bound for the Olympics.

However, Hoffman was experiencing crippling social anxiety and depression and had thoughts of suicide. He said he made one life-changing decision, which was to smoke marijuana with a friend, and discovered the drugs, though temporary, made him feel better and not experience those thoughts. That one decision eventually led to full-blown drug abuse and the ruin of all he wanted for his life.

His abuse of opioids led to a life of crime, homelessness, and incarceration.

He said at a young age, he experienced anxiety and began to isolate himself from others. He said he also used sleep to stop his feelings of anxiety and no self-worth.

Hoffman urged the students to find a trusted adult and talk to them about any negative feelings they may be having.

“The way I stopped my social anxiety from occurring was isolating myself away from people. When I was by myself, I didn’t have anxiety. That was a big mistake. When you isolate yourself from people, you make your situation worse because you are not connected with anyone who can say ‘I support you,’ or ‘I understand what you are going through.’ “ Hoffman said.

“That vulnerability and that connection is how a person has hope and how they understand that if they just keep moving one day at a time, things might get better. When I started to isolate away from people, that’s when I began to think that I was broken and that I was the only one going through anything like this.”

He said his low point was when he was so addicted to opioids that he robbed the mother of one of his friends at gunpoint for her painkillers needed to battle her multiple sclerosis. Hoffman served two years of a four-and-a-half-year sentence.

Hoffman said his time in prison allowed him to study the Bible and deepen his relationship with God, thanks to a fellow inmate who mentored and helped him study. He also set goals for himself, which began with self-discipline.

He told the students he hoped to give them tools to work through anxiety and other issues they may be facing. The key was finding a trusted adult to talk to, not to keep their feelings to themselves.

Hoffman also said creating good habits, such as making their beds, keeping their belongings in order, is key to weathering life’s storms.

“There’s like 8 billion people in this world and every single one of you is human and was born with a gift and that gift makes you unique and that gift is supposed to be used to make the world a better place,” Hoffman said. “Not one of those 8 billion people was born with discipline because discipline is not a gift. It’s a skill you develop over time. Discipline allows you to do good work when you don’t want to do work at all.

“Doing all the little things, including picking up an ice cube when it falls onto the floor and putting it in the sink, helps you form the discipline you need to do good work. My mind wants to take shortcuts every single day, like kicking that ice cube under the refrigerator. But when I pick that ice cube up and put it in the sink, I win,” he said. “Because when I get to that storm or challenge in my life, I have a set of skills. I have the discipline to do the things to get me through that storm or challenge. I have a set of skills, and those are the things that make me stronger. Those are the things that make me better. When I left prison, I was a completely different person than I was when I went in.”

After prison, Hoffman began BMX racing again and eventually coached others. He made it to the Olympics in 2016, not as a participant, but as a coach.

He said he still experiences anxiety and depression from time to time but is equipped to handle it now.

“I do five things. I get out of bed. I brush my teeth. I walk my dog. I go to the gym, and I call someone who loves me, even if I don’t want to talk to anyone,” Hoffman said.