‘I’m being forced to choose between Olympics and OnlyFans’

Canoeists in Britain are being forced to choose between their Olympic dreams and their OnlyFans account, according to a British canoeist.

Kurts Adams Rozentals, who competes in the individual canoe slalom, was suspended by the country’s top sports organization Paddle UK in April for “allegations” regarding his social media posts.

Rozentals were removed from Paddle UK’s World Class Programme, which was UK Sport’s lottery-funded initiative to train athletes for the Olympics, pending an investigation.

Rozentals believes it is because he created content for the popular adult content subscription website OnlyFans, which Paddle UK have refused to clarify the nature of the allegations.

To help fund my ultimate dream of attending the Olympics, Rozentals told BBC Sport, “I have been posting videos on Instagram that are purposefully edgy in order to drive conversions to my ‘spicy content page’ (on OnlyFans).

Rozentals, who has more than 10,000 “likes” on OnlyFans, has posted 39 videos and more than 100 photos on the site.

He claimed a Paddle UK representative called him last month to inform him that he had been suspended from competing and couldn’t contact any of the program’s staff or athletes.

Because this is what I put my life into and everything I do, Rozentals continued, “I kind of froze and I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing.”

In January of this year, Rozentals created his own OnlyFans account to raise money for his training program. He posts videos and images to entice viewers to his Instagram posts.

Each athlete who participates in the Paddle UK program receives a £16,000 grant each year to help them with their training.

Rozentals, who claims to have made more than £100,000 since opening his OnlyFans account, contends that the program’s funding is insufficient.

Rozentals remarked, “I don’t know how much you need, but it’s not £16,000.”

When you have to pay for housing, travel, and food, the majority of full-time athletes live in London.

I wasn’t, but they’re very fortunate to have my parents’ support. Due to financial difficulties, I was always traveling from the East Midlands, where I currently reside, to London, back and forth, back and forth.

Rozentals, who won individual C1 silver at the 2023 World Under-23 Championships, is awaiting the investigation’s conclusion.

Due to the nature of the allegation, PaddleUK claim that Rozentals’ ban is not a “neutral act” meant to protect all parties and to protect other athletes, staff, and volunteers.

The Athlete Disciplinary Policy of Paddle UK, which lists “inappropriate use of social media” and “indecent, offensive, or immoral behavior,” as examples of gross misconduct that could lead to de-selection, enabled the suspension.

Rozentals says he shouldn’t have to choose between his Olympic dream and financial security when asked if he will stop posting on OnlyFans to keep his spot on the program.

Rozentals remarked, “This is the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make.”

After years of struggle, years of living on the edge, my mother working 90 hours per week, and having bailiffs at the door, I finally realized why I started doing this last winter.

“I’m going to find a way to avoid struggle, where my mother can enjoy her life, and where I can put everything into this sport because it’s not very conducive to performing well when you’re thinking about how to pay the rent this month and you’re standing at the start line.”

After earning silver and bronze in Rio de Janeiro, the diver took the bronze medal for Great Britain in the men’s synchronized 3m springboard in Paris last summer.

When you just wear trunks all the time and he just posts pictures of himself as you would see him in a competition, laugheder’s father said, there is no room for imagination.

You couldn’t show it to your grandma, but it does make extra money for him and he’s pleased that he has the opportunity.