Team GB Olympian Freddie Woodward has revealed he sent nude photographs to strangers online for "a thrill" while struggling with a pornography addiction. The elite diver, who represented Britain in the 3m Springboard event at Rio 2016 and claimed bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, disclosed that at his lowest point he was visiting explicit websites ten times a day.
Addiction began at age 12
Speaking to the BBC, the 31-year-old from Sheffield revealed his porn addiction had taken hold from a young age, with the athlete regularly accessing "hardcore" websites by the time he was 12. "I'm the first generation to have had access to high-speed internet porn," he said.
Freddie explained: "I realised I had a problem when it came to homework and exams, like GCSEs and A Levels. Every time I sat down to revise, all I wanted to do was open those sites."
Impact on career and relationships
As he matured and his sporting career advanced, so too did his reliance on adult content. The diver described how pornography became a crutch during difficult periods in training: "If I'd had a bad training session, it was always the thing I could turn to."
Over time, the addiction drove Freddie towards increasingly reckless behaviour online, including sharing nude images and videos with strangers in pursuit of "more of a thrill". He told the BBC: "I was doing something clearly irresponsible, but I didn't care."
Ultimately, some of the material he had shared resurfaced on the internet and was discovered by Freddie's then girlfriend, who ended their relationship shortly afterwards. The Olympian admitted that, despite his shame, he remained unable to break the habit. "I was so embarrassed and crushed. I just didn't know how to deal with it. The worst part was, I still couldn't quit porn. I couldn't stop," he explained.
Recovery and new love
Freddie reveals that, following a further six years battling the addiction, he has finally managed to overcome it for good. The now-retired diver has also found love again with Chika Izumi, a fellow former Olympian and former Japanese artistic swimmer.
She told the BBC that Freddie opened up about his past struggles after a couple of months of dating. "I was like, 'OK, I guess there's a problem,' but I didn't go against it. I was just neutral about it. I know he's going to help so many boys and men. I can't believe how brave he is to talk to the world," she explained.
