MEXICO CITY, Mexico Diego Balleza is known for his 10-meter diving and is accustomed to dressing in little swimwear that bares his body. The Mexican is now switching to a separate portal called OnlyFans, where he also sports a few outfits out of desperation due to a lack of financial resources in advance of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Balleza is only one of several Mexican athletes impacted by the conflict between World Aquatics and Ana Guevara, the president of Mexico’s national sports commission, who has ceased paying aquatics players every month since January. Kiril Todorov, the president of the Mexican Federation, was suspended by World Aquatics, and a commission was created to lead the organization till fresh elections were in place.
Due to the Mexican Swimming Federation’s noncompliance with the governing body’s good governance requirements, Todorov was suspended. Even though the Court of Arbitration for Sport recognized the alteration, Guevara refused to accept it.
All aquatics athletes received a smaller allowance thanks to Guevara, a runner who took home a silver medal in the 400-meter event at the 2004 Athens Olympics. They are currently looking for means of support.
Balleza decided to join OnlyFans, a website where content creators contribute photographs and videos, some of which are explicit. Balleza placed fourth in synchronized diving on the 10-meter platform at the Tokyo Olympics.
You’re always seeking methods to generate money, so it occurred to me to open it. You can put whatever you want in there; it’s valid stuff, Balleza said in an interview with The Associated Press. “I support my house and my mother, and I have bills to pay,” Balleza said. “I’m glad to see that the members of my page have been excellent and respectful, and I hope they keep acting that way.”
Mexico Diego Balleza is known for his 10-meter diving and is accustomed to dressing in little swimwear that bares his body.
Balleza offers quarterly packages for $40.50, but it costs $15 per month to access his stuff. By Monday, he had shared 136 photos and 26 videos and engaged in more than 14,000 fan interactions.
The 28-year-old diver hopes to replace the little over 30,000 pesos (about $1,708) he received as a government scholarship with the money he earns from that website.
“The money I now receive (from OnlyFans) is very volatile, but it has served me well so far,” the man stated.
Balleza claimed that in addition to funding from OnlyFans, the state of Nuevo León, where he resides and trains, backed him. He also claimed to have gotten funding from the private sector, though he could not specify how much.
However, Balleza is acting with others in his search for financial support. Kevin Berlin, his teammate on the 10-meter platform in Tokyo, went a different way to continue preparing for Paris. “Olimpiada Café,” or Olympic Coffee, is a coffee brand that Berlin founded with assistance from his relatives.
Initially, Berlin told the AP, “We thought we would only sell it to family and friends, but then it started to go viral, reaching more people.” “You must look for the good in everything. We built a successful company that may prove valuable due to all the issues I encountered. You never know in athletics whether an injury may swiftly end your career.
To earn Mexico berths for the Paris Olympics, Berlin and Balleza will compete together in July in the global championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
World Aquatics gave them plane tickets to travel to Japan, though it appears that not all athletes received them because high diver Jonathan Paredes eventually received a ticket from Aeroméxico after asking for assistance on Twitter.
The situation is tedious because you are ultimately not fully focused on what you need to perform. However, everything is possible; we have already arranged transportation and logistics for the world championships. According to Balleza, we must now work hard to earn those Olympic slots.
Mexico Diego Balleza is known for his 10-meter diving and is accustomed to dressing in little swimwear that bares his body.
The artistic swimming squad was compelled to sell towels and swimsuits on social media besides Balleza and Berlin.
“Since our squad consists of 14, it costs a lot of money to travel, but it all adds up. Jessica Sobrino, a team member who came up with the idea to sell such products, stated, “The swimsuits offered us an opportunity, but our parents still support us, there are donations, and, in the end, everything adds up in the fight for us to travel to the Olympic Games.
After the creative team recently prevailed in court, Guevara was compelled to reinstate the scholarships. However, according to the national commission’s director, that is a short-term solution.
Even the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has spoken on the matter and promised to look into ways to assist the rivals.
Aquatic athletes in Mexico must continue finding methods to make money during that time, even if that means selling their clothing or taking it off.
SOURCE – (AP)
