FOR Winter Olympian Alex Ianculescu, starting an OnlyFans account was a life-changing decision.
A decision that saved her from 5am wake-up calls to train before heading to one of her three part-time jobs, and triple helpings of porridge to keep her fuelled up on the cheap.
Ianculescu has almost half a million followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram / speed_skater
The Romanian-Canadian skater competed at the 2018 Winter OlympicsCredit: Instagram @speed_skater
And now she is helping other athletes follow her lead.
– sportswoman Ianculescu, 34, will commentate long-track speed skating at the upcoming .
She is currently training to make the track cycling squad for Team Canada at the summer Olympics in in 2028 – but her sporting career started on the ice.
Speed skating is a niche discipline but a clear pathway was laid out by her mother, who was a Romanian national champion.
Ianculescu told SunSport: “I was hooked after winning my first gold medal at 11 years old.
“I also skied and played tennis, I could easily have gone into those. I was almost as good in those two as I was at skating, but skating got better as time went on.
“My parents had no money and skating was the cheapest, so I stuck with it.”
Ianculescu competed for Romania in the women’s 500-metre race at the 2018 Winter Olympics, but there were drawbacks to specialising in a sport with only modest cash incentives.
Ianculescu will commentate long-track speed skating at the 2026 Winter OlympicsCredit: instagram @speed_skater
Ianculescu used to work three part-time jobs to fund her speed skating dreamsCredit: AFP
Ianculescu is in the top 0.06 per cent of creators on OnlyFansCredit: Instagram / speed_skater
She recalled: “I had to work three part-time jobs. It was super hard.
“I worked at a sushi store at the mall, at lululemon four days a week, and then at a restaurant on weekends.
“I remember skipping weight training sessions or having to do them back-to-back, waking up earlier to try and train because I had to work.
“My resume on LinkedIn is hefty but I had no choice.”
Circumstances changed when Ianculescu emigrated from Canada to the Netherlands during Covid in 2020.
She couldn’t speak Dutch and struggled to find a job, while the cash she raised from selling her belongings in Calgary was running out.
A friend suggested – a platform on which creators can monetise their content, whether it’s a behind-the-scenes peak at life as an athlete or something racier.
Ianculescu was one of the first athletes to find OnlyFans success, with the financial rewards on offer – and the freedom that comes with it – convincing others to follow suit.
And it’s been a godsend as she fights her way back from a back injury to try and keep her Olympic cycling dreams afloat.
She explained: “It was the best decision ever. The equipment and rehab I can put my money into isn’t anything I could have dreamed of beforehand.
Ianculescu says OnlyFans has given her the freedom to keep chasing her dreamsCredit: instagram @speed_skater
She relocated from Canada to the Netherlands in 2020Credit: instagram @speed_skater
“There’s no way in hell I could have done it again while working three jobs, it’s just impossible.
“I was able to monetise the content and it’s such a great opportunity to give back to the community that has supported me for so long. They’re literally my fans! It’s so weird to say, I have fans!
“The more I do [OnlyFans], the better it is for me as an athlete. I’m in charge of my own destiny.
“It’s just allowed me to train fully, do my job as an athlete, fuel properly – not eat oatmeal three times a day like I had to sometimes when I was younger.
“I’m just grateful the platform exists because it’s given me this opportunity to compete, and I’m not done with my dreams.”
Ianculescu now ranks in the top 0.06 per cent of creators on OnlyFans, where she promises subscribers “lots of speed skating booty”.
The trend has been set. And as the stigma surrounding the platform disappears, other athletes are coming to Ianculescu for advice on how to get started.
She said: “I’ve had so many athletes and Olympians from Great Britain, swimmers, cyclists, coming to me and asking for help.
“I’ve been jumping on WhatsApp calls with athletes I’ve never met to give them guidelines on how to do it.
“I wish I had that when I was a younger skater. We didn’t have social media. My idols were unapproachable.”
Ianculescu is helping other athletes get started on OnlyFansCredit: instagram @speed_skater
She is now an elite road and track cyclist and hopes to compete at the 2028 OlympicsCredit: instagram @speed_skater
Changing attitudes mean that Ianculescu’s saucy side-hustle is no longer a taboo subject.
And she sees the positives in the fact she has gained a fun reputation in speed skating circles.
She said: “They know me as the OnlyFans girl.
“I was commentating at the [Speed Skating] World Cup and we went to celebrate one of the Norwegian guys’ amazing achievement.
“I walked in, they were celebrating with him, they saw me and started chanting, ‘OnlyFans! OnlyFans!’ I was like, ‘Oh my God!’
“I’m open about it. Now it’s super nice that it’s just part of the normal world. They don’t flinch. It took a while but it’s nice to feel that now.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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