Elise Christie, once hailed as one of Britain’s brightest hopes in short track speed skating, has found herself navigating a road few Olympians expect to travel. After a decorated career with Team GB, the 35-year-old now finds herself blending the worlds of content creation and motherhood, all while grappling with the financial and emotional aftermath of her sporting journey.
Christie’s rise to prominence was nothing short of remarkable. Representing Team GB at three consecutive Winter Olympics, she became a three-time world champion, amassing a stunning 30 medals—12 of them gold—across World and European Championships. Yet, for all her dominance on the world stage, Olympic glory proved heartbreakingly elusive. Across six attempts at the Games in Canada, Russia, and South Korea, Christie never stood on the Olympic podium. The sting of missed opportunity was compounded by the harsh glare of international scrutiny, especially at Sochi 2014, where a collision led not only to disqualification but to a torrent of online abuse and even death threats.
"It has nothing on being slagged off for my skating, something I dedicated my life to and apparently failed at," Christie told The Telegraph, reflecting on the criticism she faced both on and off the ice. Her words ring with the exhaustion of someone who’s endured more than her fair share of public judgment.
The aftermath of PyeongChang 2018 brought another blow—central funding for winter athletes was slashed, leaving Christie, like many of her peers, scrambling for ways to support both her training and her daily life. Her dream of a fourth Olympic appearance at Beijing 2022 was derailed by an untimely ankle injury, forcing her into retirement at just 31. But before hanging up her skates, Christie took on a job at Pizza Hut as a delivery driver and pizza maker. The irony wasn’t lost on her coworkers, who were surprised to learn that the person making their pizzas was a world-class athlete they’d watched on TV. “I’m here to get paid, just like the rest of you,” she reportedly told them.
As the financial pressures mounted, Christie made a decision that would further alter the course of her life: she joined OnlyFans, a subscription-based adult content platform. It was a move made after much deliberation. "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," she explained. The stigma, she said, was less daunting than the criticism she’d already weathered as an athlete.
Christie’s earnings from the platform—about £5,000 for every 700 paid subscribers—match what she received for winning a world championship in 2017. "I'm trying to get to a point where I'm not doing it, but it's not financially easy," she admitted. For Christie, the platform is not a long-term ambition but a means to an end, a way to support herself and her young daughter, Millie, as she works toward a more stable future.
But the transition hasn’t been without cost. While most of her closest friends have supported her, others have distanced themselves. "A few people wouldn’t speak to me because of it," she revealed. The decision also closed off some professional opportunities, a reality she acknowledges with a mix of resignation and hope. "The danger is that you do something like this when you’re too young and naive, where you end up being encouraged in the wrong way." Still, Christie insists, "This isn’t my long-term goal in life. I want to be involved in sport. But at the minute, it helps keep me afloat."
Christie’s story is not just one of financial struggle, but also of personal resilience. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she has spoken candidly about her battles with self-harm, a traumatic incident in Nottingham after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and the devastating impact of a 2012 house fire that left her hospitalized. She credits a stint in rehabilitation for helping her turn the corner, and today, she’s focused on providing a loving home for Millie, her two-year-old daughter.
"I probably never would have done it with that diagnosis, but I do believe that it got me out of a very difficult time. I learned to use it in a way that I felt comfortable. And everyone does use it differently—it isn’t just what people think it is," Christie said of her OnlyFans experience. Her honesty about her mental health struggles and her willingness to discuss the realities faced by retired athletes have sparked important conversations about the support—or lack thereof—available to those who have dedicated their lives to sport.
"It was lovely to be funded to skate, but unless you’re in a very heavily-sponsored sport, it doesn’t give you a life once you stop. I imagine that if I were a 100-metre runner, it would be a different story. If you spent 17 years of your life on something else, you wouldn’t be in this financial situation. People need to consider that a little before judging Olympic athletes," Christie remarked, highlighting the stark contrast between the public’s perception of sporting glory and the harsh economic realities many athletes face once the spotlight fades.
Her journey from world-class skater to content creator and pizza delivery driver is a powerful reminder that the path to and from athletic greatness is rarely straightforward. Christie’s willingness to share her struggles—both personal and professional—has made her a symbol of resilience and adaptability in the face of adversity.
Now, as she looks to the future, Christie remains hopeful about returning to the sporting world in some capacity. She wants to use her experiences to help others, perhaps as a mentor or advocate for improved athlete welfare. For now, though, she continues to juggle the demands of motherhood, content creation, and the lingering effects of a career that brought both triumph and heartbreak.
Elise Christie’s story is still unfolding. As she forges ahead, her journey stands as a testament to the complexities of life after elite sport—and the strength it takes to carve a new path when the old one disappears beneath your feet.