
Matthew Mitcham is a retired Australian diver who won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Matthew recently made headlines by writing an opinion piece for The Telegraph, published on July 29.
In it, he addressed the criticism athletes face for showing off their bodies, clarifying that this doesn’t necessarily involve posting nude content.
Matthew Mitcham, First Openly Gay Gold Medalist, Speaks Out
Matthew came out as gay before the Beijing Olympics and won gold in the 10m diving platform event.
He retired from the sport in 2016.
Matthew mentioned that he joined OnlyFans, where people can post their pictures to subscribers because his income had decreased significantly.
“The harsh truth of sport is that a small percentage of athletes make it big. Those people might be rewarded with lots of juicy sponsorships, but we’re talking about only the most beautiful and charismatic Olympic champions,”
Matthew said.
He has been using OnlyFans for 18 months and sees it as a great way to earn extra money and have another source of income.
He believes athletes should be able to earn more because they are often paid very little for their sporting activities.
Matthew is also a motivational speaker.
On OnlyFans, Matthew has not posted full nudity and has been very cautious about it.
He noted that while some athletes get big sponsorships, others struggle financially.
Jack Laugher, a fellow diver who won gold at the recent Olympics, is facing criticism for his OnlyFans account.
Netizens believe that athletes who are flag bearers should not be using OnlyFans as it is derogatory towards the country’s image and so on.
“I read that Jack was earning £28,000 from Team GB, which is not a lot for a sportsperson of his standing, and [that] explains why he is looking to supplement his income,”
said Matthew.
Matthew defended Laugher, saying he should be able to use OnlyFans as his salary is relatively low compared to what he deserves.
Matthew also pointed out that just because athletes succeed in sports doesn’t mean they will automatically succeed on OnlyFans.
He mentioned that the stigma attached to athletes using OnlyFans is a problem, but he doesn’t see anything harmful in their decision to use the platform for financial stability.
Also Read: 2024 Olympics Controversy: British Divers Turn to OnlyFans to Have Extra Income