Unfortunately for former Olympic bobsledding champion Lisa Buckwitz, there was more to worry about than just going down a track made of ice at 150 km/h.
The German athlete, who won gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, needed some help to get to the 2026 Games in Milano-Cortina, Italy, next month and turned to OnlyFans.
The 31-year-old has been utilizing the online subscription platform since late 2024, helping to raise some money with an eye on winning another gold medal.
With the ever-rising costs of training, competing and paying for equipment and staff, the money coming in from sponsorships alone wasn’t enough for Buckwitz to get by.
‘Allows me to finance my team’
That led her to sign up with OnlyFans, a site which often features racy content.
“It’s a stroke of luck for me, as it allows me to finance my team,” she told German outlet Bild. “It’s the best thing that could have happened to me.”
Buckwitz also told the outlet that it was “sad” that the income from bobsleigh events isn’t enough to get by.
“It’s a bit sad that I can’t just focus on my competitive sport,” she said. “Sure, I’m an Olympic champion. But nobody’s interested in Lisa Buckwitz just because of the gold medal. That’s unfortunately the downside.
“For me, it’s a sponsor that, alongside my service in the German Armed Forces, makes the sport possible. So something completely normal.”
Has she posed nude?
While Buckwitz previously posed naked on the cover of Playboy Germany ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, she has said that there won’t be any X-rated content on her OnlyFans feed.
When she first joined OnlyFans, Buckwitz said that it was an opportunity for her to show fans more of what she does behind the scenes, away from competition.
“For me, it’s a real opportunity to show people what it means to compete at the highest level in this sport — beyond the competitive moments,” she told Bild.
“This platform allows me to connect with my fans on a personal level and to network with people who are genuinely interested in competitive sport and my path in it.
“Fans get exclusive access to content that I don’t normally share – the daily grind, the dynamics within the team and the personal milestones that often go unseen.
“I will post as often as I can and share everything — from fitness and nutrition tips to competition preparation to the rituals that help me focus on competition day.”
Will Buckwitz compete in Italy?
Buckwitz was able to qualify for next month’s Winter Games and will be competing in two different disciplines of bobsledding – the monobob and in the two-person bobsled with teammate Neele Schuten.
Buckwitz also competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, finishing fourth in the two-person bobsled event.