Elise Christie, a former standout short track speed skater for Team GB, has turned to OnlyFans and a pizza delivery role to support herself following Olympic disappointments.
Olympic Setbacks and Funding Cuts
Christie excelled in short track speed skating but struggled to secure medals. At the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, officials disqualified her from three events. Tragedy repeated at the 2018 PyeongChang Games when a crash led to her elimination. As a key medal contender, she endured intense online abuse amid her professional setbacks.
Post-2018 Olympics, authorities slashed her central funding, derailing plans for a final push at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Pizza Hut Job and Training Challenges
To finance her training, Christie took a job at Pizza Hut as a pizza maker and delivery driver. Her coworkers expressed shock at sharing shifts with a TV-famous Olympian. Christie responded firmly: “I’m here to get paid, just like the rest of you.”
An ankle injury ultimately barred her from the 2022 Olympics, prompting her retirement announcement in December 2021.
Decision to Join OnlyFans
Christie joined the adult subscription platform OnlyFans out of financial necessity. She reflected: “I did go over it for a long time in my head. In the end, I decided that being slagged off for this had nothing on being slagged off for my skating, something I dedicated my life to and apparently failed at.”
Most close friends backed her choice, though some distanced themselves. Christie earns approximately £5,000 from every 700 subscribers, matching her 2017 World Championships gold prize money. She aims to phase out the explicit content: “I’m trying to get to a point where I’m not doing it, but it’s not financially easy.”
Personal Struggles and Recovery
Christie battles bipolar disorder and has overcome severe challenges. She has spoken about past self-harm, a 2010 incident after the Vancouver Olympics where she was drugged and raped in Nottingham, and a 2012 house fire that damaged her lungs, requiring resuscitation.
A rehab stint proved pivotal for her recovery. Today, she embraces motherhood to her two-year-old daughter, Millie.
