Former Team GB Olympic diver Freddie Woodward has revealed he sent nude photos to strangers online for "a thrill" while battling a pornography addiction. The 31-year-old from Sheffield, who competed in the 3m springboard at Rio 2016 and won bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, said at its worst he visited X-rated sites up to ten times a day.
Addiction Started Young
In an interview with the BBC, Woodward said his addiction began early, and by age 12 he was regularly visiting "hardcore" websites. "I'm the first generation to have had access to high-speed internet porn," he explained.
He realised the problem during his school years: "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."
Career and Escalation
As his diving career progressed, so did his use of adult sites. Woodward said porn became a crutch during tough training periods: "If I'd had a bad training session, it was always the thing I could turn to."
The addiction eventually pushed him to riskier behaviour, including sending explicit photos and videos to strangers online for "more of a thrill". He told the BBC: "I was doing something clearly irresponsible, but I didn't care."
Consequences and Recovery
Some of the content he sent resurfaced online and was seen by his then-girlfriend, who left him shortly afterwards. Despite feeling embarrassed, he still couldn't quit: "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."
After six more years of struggle, the now-retired diver says he has finally kicked the addiction for good. He is in a new relationship with Chika Izumi, a former Japanese artistic swimmer and ex-Olympian.
Support from Partner
Izumi told the BBC that Woodward opened up about his past 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," she said.
She praised his courage: "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."
