How can financial pressures affect athletes?

Financial pressures can affect athletes by causing mental health issues, limiting access to necessary resources, and potentially pushing them out of professional sport.

What are some common financial challenges faced by athletes?

Common financial challenges include costs for travel, accommodation, coaching, and equipment, especially in less commercially supported sports.

How can athletes manage financial pressures?

Athletes can manage financial pressures through sponsorships, combining training with paid work, or relying on personal savings and family support.

What role does mental health play in an athlete's career?

Mental health is crucial as symptoms and disorders can affect performance, and financial constraints can limit access to mental health services.

What recommendations does the IOC make for athlete support?

The IOC recommends routine mental health screening, support considering the wider sporting environment, and recognising financial and logistical pressures as part of athlete welfare.

Beach Volleyball Star Says OnlyFans Deal Changed Her Career as Financial Struggles Expose Hidden Toll on Athletes

New Zealand beach volleyball player Olivia Macdonald says an OnlyFans sponsorship has helped her continue competing after years of struggling to cover the costs of professional sport, drawing attention to financial pressures that can affect athletes' wellbeing.

The 30-year-old told Radio New Zealand she was offered a place as an OnlyFans athlete five months ago, receiving a signing bonus and regular payments in return for promoting the platform and creating content. She said the income helped pay for her and her playing partner to attend international competitions after their regular funding ran out. Before the deal, she often worked two jobs while training and travelling, and sometimes struggled to afford competing.

Macdonald uses the platform to share volleyball and training videos, promotional material and modelling-style photographs. She compared the arrangement with a conventional sports sponsorship and stressed that she was not using the platform's adult-content side. Her experience raises wider questions about how financial insecurity can affect athletes' mental health when the costs of a professional career fall heavily on individuals.

Financial Pressure Can Affect Athletes' Wellbeing

Professional sport can involve substantial costs, including travel, accommodation, coaching and equipment. Athletes in less commercially supported disciplines may have to combine training with paid work or rely on personal savings and family support.

A 2021 study of elite and semi-elite athletes in Norway found that financial concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with more anxiety and depression symptoms and lower life satisfaction. The researchers also linked financial concerns with lower life satisfaction. The findings do not prove money worries caused those symptoms, and the pandemic created unusual pressures, but they show how economic uncertainty can affect athletes beyond performance.

Mental Health Difficulties Are Common in Elite Sport

The International Olympic Committee's 2026 consensus statement says mental health symptoms and disorders are common among elite athletes, may be influenced by sport-related factors and can affect performance.

The statement identifies pressures including injury, training overload, burnout, unsupportive sporting environments and uncertainty about an athlete's future. Financial constraints can also make it harder to access mental health services, particularly for athletes who travel frequently or train far from specialist support.

MacDonald has not said she experienced anxiety, depression or another mental health condition. Her account instead illustrates the financial demands that can form part of an athlete's working conditions.

Why Athletes May Struggle to Seek Help

The IOC says stigma, confidentiality concerns and fears of being judged or losing sporting opportunities can discourage athletes from seeking mental health care. Some may worry that admitting they are struggling will be interpreted as weakness or affect their place on a team.

A demanding competition schedule can also make appointments and consistent treatment difficult. The IOC recommends routine mental health screening and support that considers the wider sporting environment, rather than placing responsibility solely on individual athletes.

Better Support Could Help Athletes Stay in Sport

MacDonald said limited sponsorship opportunities and the cost of international travel can push athletes out of professional sport. She believes more support is needed to show young players that a career in beach volleyball is possible.

Her OnlyFans deal has given her a way to continue competing, but it does not resolve the wider funding gap. The IOC says financial constraints, geographical isolation and logistical difficulties can prevent athletes from accessing mental health services, and recommends that sporting organisations address barriers to care.

For athletes, sustainable careers depend on more than fitness and results. Stable funding, appropriate healthcare and psychological support can help make high-level competition more achievable.