Get to know Fort Mill HS alum, Montreat College wrestler Bella Hoffman
FORT MILL, S.C. — After finishing cheerleading practice, 7-year-old Bella Hoffman usually watched wrestling. Her father, Richard, was the middle school coach at Clover Middle School. It wasn鈥檛 long before Bella started asking if she too could hit the mat. Her father, however, was opposed to the idea.
Bella took the issue up with her mother. 鈥淲ould you let anyone else tell her no because she is a girl?鈥� Kelly Hoffman asked her husband.
That did it. Richard bought his daughter her first pair of wrestling shoes and warned her that she wasn鈥檛 allowed to quit midseason.
Quitting is not a concept that ever crossed Bella鈥檚 mind. The now college student said that she has loved 鈥渆very minute of wrestling.鈥� This is despite her not becoming a good wrestler鈥攊n her opinion鈥攗ntil she entered middle school. During her 8th grade year at Pleasant Knoll, Bella made it to the boys state tournament. Then, competing as a sophomore for Fort Mill High School, she won the girls state tournament. That tournament was one of the few times when Bella actually faced females. FMHS lacks a girl鈥檚 wrestling program, so Bella always trained and competed with the boys.
In addition to the folkstyle form of wrestling that Bella learned in high school, the 4-time All-American also competes in freestyle and beach wrestling. She traveled to Romania the past two Septembers for the World Beach Wrestling Championship. Bella described receiving her Team USA gear as 鈥渢he best feeling in the whole world. It鈥檚 like Christmas in September.鈥� She also said that she loved seeing Romanian culture and talking to wrestlers from all over the world. She鈥檚 been invited to train in Greece and Romania next summer.
Richard and Kelly, who live in Tega Cay, were able to join their daughter abroad this past summer. 鈥淭hey are my biggest fans and supporters,鈥� Bella said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they have missed a match in forever.鈥�
This winter, Bella faces a completely new challenge competing on the first-ever women鈥檚 wrestling team at Montreat College in North Carolina. Very few colleges offer this option for women. Once Montreat announced their coaching staff, Bella said it was easy for her to pick a school. She is majoring in business with a potential minor in exercise science.
As a college athlete, Bella sticks to a strict schedule. She lifts every morning at 6 am, goes for a run and/or lifts again in the afternoon, and practices with her team for 2 hours at night. She maintains a high protein diet and limits fat and sodium. Unusual for a wrestler, Bella also goes vegan about a month in advance of the competition season. She said that a former coach used to make her do it before high school competitions and it has worked for her body.
In preparation for college nationals in March, the 5鈥�1 wrestler has to hit her weight goal of 116 pounds by December 20. After that, she might be able to indulge in a few holiday treats when she spends her Christmas back home in Tega Cay.
This wrestling season, Bella aims to win the national title as a freshman, but don鈥檛 expect her to stop there. Bella plans to compete long after she graduates Montreat. Next year, she will compete in the Olympic Trials for freestyle wrestling and will be eligible to compete in the Olympic Games in 2024 in Paris. Additionally, United World Wrestling has stated that it is working to add beach wrestling to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. If added, Bella hopes that she will be able to win both freestyle and beach wrestling with her parents watching. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been my dream since I was 8 years old to win a gold medal,鈥� she said.
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