‘Inspiration doesn't pay rent': British canoeist forced to choose between his Olympic dream and Onlyfans account

Hindustan Times

a day ago

Kurts Adams Rozentals, a rising star in British canoe slalom, finds himself caught in a deeply personal and public struggle: pursue his Olympic dream or maintain financial independence through his growing OnlyFans platform. The 24-year-old athlete, who clinched silver at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, has been suspended by PaddleUK following undisclosed allegations related to his social media activity. While the governing body has not explicitly stated the reasons, Rozentals believes his burgeoning presence on the subscription site OnlyFans — famous for adult content — is at the heart of the controversy.
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Rozentals, who competes in the individual C1 canoe slalom discipline, has openly admitted to creating 'edgy' Instagram posts aimed at driving fans to his OnlyFans page, where he shares more content. Since launching the account in January 2025, he has amassed over 10,000 likes and posted nearly 40 videos and 100 photos, reportedly earning upwards of £100,000. This financial boost is critical to his training and Olympic ambitions.
'I have been posting videos (on Instagram) that are consciously made to be edgy in order to drive conversions to my 'spicy content page' (on OnlyFans), to fund this ultimate dream of going to the Olympics,' Rozentals told BBC Sport.
Despite receiving a £16,000 annual grant from PaddleUK's World Class Programme, Rozentals says this support falls far short of covering the real costs of training, travel, rent, and nutrition. 'I don't know how much you need but it's certainly not £16,000,' said Rozentals. 'When you have to cover rent, travel, food... and most athletes who train full-time are all living in London. They're very fortunate to have parent backing — I wasn't. I never had the ability to move to London because of financial struggles so I was always doing the travel from the East Midlands, where I live, to London, back-and-forth, back-and-forth.'
Last month, Rozentals received a shocking phone call from PaddleUK, informing him he was suspended and barred from contacting staff or fellow athletes while an investigation proceeds. Paddle UK insists this suspension is a 'neutral act designed to protect all parties' and an 'interim' measure to protect all parties and safeguard the environment for athletes and volunteers.
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Their Athlete Disciplinary Policy highlights 'offensive use of social media' and 'indecent, offensive or immoral behaviour' as grounds for potential dismissal. When asked if he would give up his OnlyFans account to stay in the programme, Rozentals was clear: he refuses to be forced into such a choice. 'This is the hardest decision that I've ever faced in my life,' he said. '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,' he continued. '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],' he said.
The dilemma facing Rozentals is not isolated. Olympic gold medallist diver Jack Laugher also joined OnlyFans in 2024 to supplement his income, posting non-explicit photos of himself in competition gear. Laugher's father emphasised the platform is 'nothing that you couldn't show your grandma,' underscoring the legitimacy of athletes seeking alternative income sources amid limited funding.
UK Sport, responsible for the Athlete Performance Award (APA) system, confirmed recent increases in athlete funding but declined to comment on ongoing investigations. For Rozentals, the answer could define not just his future, but the future of British sport itself.