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CTV News
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CTV News
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
Kurts Adams Rozentals claimed he has been stopped from pursuing his ambition to become an Olympic canoeist because of his "edgy" social media content. (via CNN Newsource) A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: '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.' Struggling to pay the bills Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' OnlyFans wasn't first choice The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 (US$21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
CNN
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: '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.' Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 ($21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
CNN
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: '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.' Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 ($21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
CNN
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNN
British canoeist says he's being forced to choose between Olympic dreams and OnlyFans
A top British canoeist claims he has been banned from competing in the sport because of content he posted on the OnlyFans social media site. Kurts Adams Rozentals is described as 'an elite performer' on the website of Paddle UK, the umbrella body governing the sport in Britain. According to the site, Rozentals won a silver medal in the canoe slalom at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023, while also picking up a silver as part of a three-man team at the same event. A separate page on the site shows that the 22-year-old was in contention to represent Great Britain at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. But all this came to a halt, Rozentals said, at the beginning of April, when he was contacted by the governing body. In a lengthy Instagram post dated April 12, he told his 73,900 followers that 'i got a call from a PaddleUK representative, where i was told that i'm banned from competing at the 2nd and final part of GB team selections as well as banned from speaking to my coach, staff and teammates. 'PaddleUK's reasoning? my social media posts.' OnlyFans is a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, although some content creators also post music and fitness videos. Paddle UK confirmed to CNN in an email that it is carrying out an investigation but declined to go into the details. 'Paddle UK can confirm that in line with our Athlete Disciplinary Policy, an athlete on the canoe slalom programme is under interim action, pending the outcome of an investigation,' the governing body said. 'The investigation has been referred to independent investigation service Sport Integrity,' it added. According to Paddle UK, the investigation 'places a restriction on the athlete being able to engage with the World Class Programme (which includes communicating with athletes, coaches and staff who are part of the programme).' It also means the athlete cannot attend sites or facilities associated with the governing bodies. The body added: '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.' Rozentals said on Instagram that his family had 'sacrificed everything so i could keep chasing the ultimate dream of racing at the Olympics.' The athlete, who moved to the United Kingdom from Latvia as a child, told followers that 'money has always been a massive struggle' for him and his family so he decided to do 'whatever it takes' to succeed. He wrote: 'i started making what they now describe 'edgy videos', with the focus to grow a following, because trying to live on the salary PaddleUK pays their athletes is near impossible.' He continued: 'i was sick of worrying how to pay rent, i was sick of being on the verge of homelessness. 'i did whatever it took to never be in that position. was it unconventional? sure. i'm not perfect. 'but to ban me from racing? to ban me from speaking to my teammates like i'm some criminal? that's fu**ing insane.' The 22-year-old told CNN that the ban came in between the two selection rounds for the British team, adding: 'The goal of that post was for it to go viral and get the message across about athletes' funding.' The decision 'came out of the blue,' he said, and left him feeling he was being 'treated like a criminal.' There has been no further communication from Paddle UK, he added. Rozentals' Instagram account links to a website bearing his name. The landing page features the OnlyFans logo with a clickable link, and the message: 'Dear mum and dad, please don't click on this link. 'And to everyone else, hope you enjoy ;)' Rozentals told CNN that he earns £16,000 ($21,500) a year from canoeing and that he had tried multiple other revenue sources before turning to OnlyFans. 'If it's not illegal, I've done it,' he said. 'From working late nights freelance video editing to working at the Amazon factory, I've done it all. But it's completely unsustainable. It impacts training too much. Doing OF was not my dream, it was a way to support the ultimate goal of going to the Olympics.' He told CNN he has earned more than £100,000 ($135,000) from OnlyFans since joining the site in January. He acknowledged that some of the 'edgy' content that is sent directly to subscribers is of himself in the nude.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Team GB Olympic hopeful banned after raking in £100,000 with OnlyFans side-hustle
A BRITISH canoeist has been banned from competing after earning £100,000 through his OnlyFans account. Kurts Adams Rozentals was suspended in April by governing body Paddle UK following "allegations" about his social media posts. 5 5 5 Paddle UK have removed Rozentals from their World Class Programme - which put athletes on the course for the Olympics - pending an investigation. And while Paddle UK have refused to clarify the nature of the allegations, Rozentals suspects it is due to his OnlyFans side hustle. He told BBC Sport: "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 has more than 10,000 "likes" on OnlyFans and has posted 39 videos and over 100 photos on the website - known for hosting adult content. The 22-year-old said he has earned more than £100,000 since creating his OnlyFans account in January. Rozentals claimed he received a call from a Paddle UK representative last month to tell him that he was suspended from competing. He could no longer contact any of the staff or athletes on the programme. Rozentals revealed: "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. "My personality at this point, my identity, is sport and I want to be a professional athlete chasing my Olympic dream." Each athlete on Paddle UK's programme receives an annual grant of £16,000 to support their training - but Rozentals says funding is not enough. Nino Benvenuti dead at 87- Two-weight world champion and Olympic gold medallist passes away He added: "I don't know how much you need but it's certainly not £16,000. "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." Rozentals - who won individual C1 silver at the World Under-23 Championships in 2023 - now awaits the outcome of the investigation. The athlete now faces choosing between his canoeing career continuing to run his OnlyFans site. He said: "This is the hardest decision that I've ever faced in my life. "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".
