British athlete forced to ‘choose between OnlyFans and Olympics’ after making £100,000 from platform
A British canoeist says he is being forced to choose between his dream of becoming an Olympian and his lucrative OnlyFans career after being banned from competing.
Kurts Adams Rozentals was suspended by the sport's governing body, Paddle UK, in April after 'allegations' about the content he was sharing on social media were lodged against him.
Although the athlete admits some of his posts are 'consciously made to be edgy' to drive traffic to his OnlyFans page, there doesn't appear to be anything majorly inappropriate on his Instagram page.
But it seems Rozentals' shirtless snaps and sexual innuendos have rubbed some people up the wrong way, as he's now banned from competing until a investigation into his online conduct is completed.
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The lad has been removed from Paddle UK's World Class Programme, which is a lottery-funded initiative to help athletes get to the Olympics, pending the outcome of the probe.
The governing body has refused to discuss the nature of the allegations made against Rozentals, but the sportsman reckons it doesn't take a genius to figure out it's something to do with his OnlyFans.
He admits he has got a catalogue of content on the adult platform, consisting of 39 videos and more than 100 photos - and he claims to have earned over £100,000 on there since joining in January.
"I have been posting videos [on Instagram] that are consciously made to be edgy in order to drive conversions to my 'spicy content page' to fund this ultimate dream of going to the Olympics," he said.
The Brit, who competes in the individual canoe slalom, explained he only signed up so that he could fund his training programme while working towards his dreams of becoming an Olympian.
Athletes are awarded an annual grant of £16,000 from Paddle UK, but Rozentals said this is peanuts when you've got to afford rent, travel, food and other expenses.
In an Instagram post detailing his plight, the canoeist explained it was 'near impossible' to live on this money, while saying he was 'sick of being on the verge of homelessness'.
"I don't know how much you need, but it's certainly not £16,000," Rozentals told the BBC.
So, he launched his OnlyFans page and has enjoyed a large degree of success, earning a six-figure sum in just a matter of months.
But after his suspension from the sport that he loves and has dedicated his whole life to, Rozentals believes he is being forced to choose between his passion and a decent pay cheque.
"This is the hardest decision that I've ever faced in my life," Rozentals said.
Rozentals continued: "I came to the realisation 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, having bailiffs at the door.
"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 because 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].
"It's a tough decision but unless something changes in the way athletes are paid I don't see a way of working with Paddle UK".
After the investigation into his online conduct was launched, Rozentals claims he was contacted by a Paddle UK representative last month.
The canoeist, who who won individual C1 silver at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, alleges that he was informed of his suspension and told that he could not get in touch with any staff or athletes who are a part of the World Class Programme.
"I kind of froze and I couldn't believe the words I was hearing, because this is what I put my life into, this is everything I do," Rozentals added.
"My personality at this point, my identity, is sport and I want to be a professional athlete chasing my Olympic dream."
Paddle UK said Rozentals' suspension is not a disciplinary action, but an 'interim action' to protect all parties involved and to 'safeguard other athletes, staff, and volunteers due to the nature of the allegation'.
"The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity," the governing body said.
"Paddle UK is committed to ensuring a safe and open environment for all, and interim action under the Athlete Disciplinary Policy is only taken where necessary and proportionate."
The organisation's Athlete Disciplinary Policy states that 'offensive use of social media' and 'indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour' may lead to de-selection due to gross misconduct.
The funding body, UK Sport, said that it would not comment on an ongoing investigation but said: "Our Athlete Performance Award (APA) is designed as a contribution towards an athlete's living and basic sporting costs.
"In March, we announced an increase in the value of APAs at all levels. They form just one element of the support package on offer for funded athletes in Olympic and Paralympic sport."
Rozentals is now awaiting the outcome of the investigation.
LADbible has contacted Paddle UK and UK Sport for further comment.
Olivia Burke