Freddie Woodward, a British diver who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics, has revealed he battled a severe pornography addiction during his athletic career. Woodward, now 30, stated that he was accessing adult websites up to 10 times a day at the height of his career and also admitted to sending nude pictures to strangers for a thrill.
Woodward competed in multiple major championships, including the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, by the age of 20, winning bronze and silver medals. He trained alongside notable athletes like Tom Daley and Jack Laugher. However, during this period of success, he was secretly struggling with a habit he discovered as a young teenager. He described accessing "hardcore" sites within a year of first discovering pornography at age 11.
"If I'd had a bad training session, it [porn] was always the thing I could turn to," Woodward told the BBC. The addiction began to interfere with his academic life, impacting his revision for GCSEs and A Levels. Woodward noted that he was part of the first generation with widespread access to high-speed internet pornography.
The consequences of his addiction extended to his personal life. The nude pictures he sent were eventually leaked online, leading to the breakup of a relationship at the time. Woodward described carrying his addiction as a "ball of shame," which affected his mental health and relationships.
Woodward retired from competitive diving at age 23, two years after his Olympic appearance where he finished 19th. He continued to struggle with his addiction for another four years before overcoming it. He achieved this by shifting his mindset from trying to quit to adopting a perspective of "someone who doesn't watch porn."
His girlfriend, Chika Izumi, a former professional swimmer whom he met in 2019, has supported his decision to speak openly about his experience. "I'm so proud of him. I'm so glad he did 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," Izumi stated.
Woodward's experience highlights a broader trend. According to polls, approximately 82 percent of men report watching porn regularly, with a third having been exposed before age 15. Pornography consumption has also been increasing among women. Addiction treatment centers, such as UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT), report a significant rise in demand for help with problematic porn use. UKAT received multiple inquiries daily for porn use issues in recent years, a stark increase from one or two per week prior to 2020. They estimate that around 1.8 million Britons watch porn daily.
Experts have linked increased pornography consumption to potential physical health issues, including erectile dysfunction and desensitization, which can diminish sexual satisfaction and affect intimate relationships. Dr. Sophie Dix, head of medical affairs for pharmacy MedExpress, has advised individuals struggling with porn addiction to use website blockers and remove bookmarks for adult sites. She also suggests that increased exercise and social interaction can aid in breaking the habit, noting that the consumption of porn in public suggests a move beyond casual entertainment into dependency for some.