former british diver says he was porn addict while training for olympics
3 minute read
we apologize, but this video has failed to load.
try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
see more toronto sun on google — save as a preferred source
a former olympic diver says he was addicted to pornography while training for the 2016 summer olympic games in rio de janeiro.
freddie woodward told bbc in an interview that he became addicted to online pornography as a youngster, and at the height of his addiction he frequented adult sites multiple times a day.
the 30-year-old woodward said he decided to open up about his porn addiction in hope there would be better education around it and to encourage others to seek help.
his revelation comes after the u.k. government announced in june that tech companies such as google and apple are required to install software to prevent kids from viewing, taking and sending sexually explicit images on their phones and other devices.
how his addiction came about
woodward said his diving career began after scouts from the city of sheffield diving club visited his elementary school. by the time he entered high school, he was training 20 hours a week in the pool and gym and was competing internationally.
it was around that time that woodward said he discovered pornography on the internet. he said he was regularly watching porn on “hardcore” sites by age 12.
“i’m the first generation to have had access to high-speed internet porn,” woodward told the bbc. “i realized 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.”
he said his divorced parents weren’t aware of the extent of his pornography viewing, assuming most kids come across porn as teens, and added “it’s a difficult conversation to have” with parents.
woodward had a long list of accomplishments by age 20, including a bronze medal at the commonwealth games and a junior european silver medal. he said he achieved his dream of representing britain at the 2016 summer games in brazil.
freddie woodward competes in the men’s 3m final during day two of the british diving championships 2016 at ponds forge on june 11, 2016 in sheffield, england. (photo by daniel smith/getty images)
advertisement
shared nude photos, videos of himself
however, as his diving career grew, so did his porn addiction. woodward said he visited adult websites daily, and on one day, “10 times a day.”
“if i’d had a bad training session, it was always the thing i could turn to,” he told the bbc.
woodward said he also started sharing nude photos and videos of himself with strangers on facebook and instagram because it gave him a thrill.
the nude media he shared was soon leaked on the internet without his knowledge. he said he found out after his girlfriend at the time called to confront him, ending the relationship in the process.
“i was so embarrassed and crushed. i just didn’t know how to deal with it,” woodward said. “the worst part was, i still couldn’t quit porn. i couldn’t stop.”
the addiction severely impacted his mental health, which he compared to carrying around a “huge ball of shame.”
how he broke his porn habit
woodward told the bbc he spent six years trying to overcome his addiction, having finally broken the habit last year. he said he needed to change his mindset from someone trying to quit porn to someone who doesn’t watch it.
after retiring from competitive diving, woodward met his current girlfriend, chika izumi, an ex-artistic swimmer on japan’s national team. woodward said he talked about his porn addiction with her a few months into their relationship.
izumi, 33, told the bbc she was supportive of her beau sharing his addiction story with the world.
there has been a significant rise in people seeking help for porn addiction, said the british association for counselling and psychotherapy. bacp surveyed 3,000 of its members, with 53% of those who worked with men stating they were seeing more pornography-related cases.
psychotherapist dr. paula hall told the bbc porn addiction is a huge problem and “we’re struggling to know how to contain it.”
advertisement
hall said one of the challenges in doing so is society’s reluctance to talk about pornography and recognizing when viewing it becomes an addictive behaviour.
“we need resources out there to help people if it’s getting in the way of their relationships or studies,” said hall.
recommended video
check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis.
share story
