For some people, sports can be a cruel dream. Despite having all the talent, the financial aspect of being a sportsman can really hinder many a career. And one British Canoeist had to face this disparity head-on. The 26-year-old from Stirling had already made waves, competing in the K1 1000m at the Tokyo Olympics and earning a bronze in the K4 500m at the 2023 World Championships. But right now, it’s not just the competition weighing him down; it’s the crushing burden of financial insecurities. How can an athlete pour everything into chasing Olympic glory when simply surviving feels like the toughest race of all?
Last winter, Kurts Adams Rozentals faced a heartbreaking decision: to join OnlyFans to keep his Olympic dream alive. “This is the hardest decision that I’ve ever faced in my life,” he confessed, speaking to the BBC, the words heavy with emotion. His choice was born from years of struggle, watching his mother work grueling 90-hour weeks while bailiffs threatened their home.
“I came to the realization about why I started doing this last winter after years of struggle, years of living on the edge, my mum working 90 hours a week, and having bailiffs at the door,” he shared. His £16,000 funding from Paddle UK simply wasn’t enough. The £100,000 he’s earned on OnlyFans since January has been a lifeline, but at what cost to his career? The painful answer arrived last month when Paddle UK called.
They suspended him from competition, cutting off all contact with staff and fellow athletes. “I kind of froze and I couldn’t believe the words I was hearing because this is what I put my life into,” Kurts said, his voice raw with disbelief. “My personality at this point, my identity, is sport, and I want to be a professional athlete chasing my Olympic dream.”
Paddle UK has described the suspension as an “interim action,” a “neutral act designed to protect all parties” while Sport Integrity conducts an investigation. They insist it’s not disciplinary but rather to “safeguard other athletes, staff, and volunteers due to the nature of the allegation.” Yet, for Kurts, whose very identity is tied to the water, the blow was immense.
Despite the setback, Kurts remains defiant, fueled by a deep-seated promise to build a better life for his family. “I’m going to find a way where we don’t have to struggle, where my mum can enjoy her life and I’m able to put everything into this sport,” he vowed. He knows all too well the mental toll of financial stress: “When you’re thinking about how to pay the rent this month and you’re standing at the start line, that’s not very conducive [to performing well].”
With the 2028 LA Games on the horizon, can Kurt navigate this storm, secure his family’s future, and paddle his way back to Olympic contention? His journey is a stark reminder of the immense pressures athletes face, often far beyond the competitive arena. And he is not the only one who has trodden this path.
Even before Kurt Adams, an Olympic gold medalist, went through the same path
Wee, Kurts Adams is not the sole athlete to join OF for the sustaining; earlier, Jack Laugher, a 29-year-old diving sensation from Ripon, a bronze medalist in the men’s synchronized 3m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a gold and silver medalist from Rio 2016, a three-time gold medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and another bronze medalist in Tokyo 2021, chose the same path.
Beneath the gleam of these medals lies a struggle that resonates deeply with many athletes, echoing the financial challenges faced by canoeist Kurts Adams Rozentals. How does a champion continue to chase their dreams when the traditional support system simply isn’t enough? To bridge the financial gap, Jack Laugher turned to OnlyFans.
His father, Dave Laugher, openly shared the story with BBC Radio York, revealing, “I suggested it to him, but it’s nothing that you couldn’t show your grandma.” This wasn’t a pursuit of fame; it was a matter of survival. With annual funding for top divers amounting to a mere £28,000, the City of Leeds athlete needed more to sustain his grueling eight-hour daily training regimen as he prepared for his fourth Olympic Games.
Dave lamented the platform’s “reputation for saucy content,” calling it “sad” that his son must supplement his income this way when funding should suffice. As Jack Laugher sets his sights on future podiums, a critical question emerges: Will the system evolve to offer better support to stars like him and Rozentals, or will these unconventional “side hustles” remain their only lifeline?
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