Olympian recounts long journey from orphanage to success
The single most difficult day of Reese Hoffa’s life was when his mother gave him up for adoption. But as he adjusted to life at St. Thomas-St. Vincent orphanage in Louisville, KY, Hoffa realized that if he could survive this moment, he could survive anything that life threw at him.
The three-time Olympic shot putter and bronze medalist recently spoke at the 2016 TEDxUGA event where a select group of UGA faculty, alumni and students gathered together to share their ideas, philosophies and inspirations.
At the event, Hoffa-who graduated from the University of Georgia College of Education with a degree in health and physical education-discussed the hardships he faced growing up and the lessons he learned as a student athlete. After being named a five-time All-American Athlete, Hoffa went on to represent the United States as an Olympian in London, Athens and Beijing.