From big sports to the porn industry: everyday collisions of vice-world champion Verona van de Leer

After completing their career, famous athletes often radically change their lives and choose the most unexpected activities. But the Dutch gymnast Verona van de Leer surpassed everyone — in a short time she went from a world-famous athlete to an equally famous adult movie star. There were other stops along the way — Verona managed to be a blackmailer, a prisoner and even homeless.

In the early 2000s, the Dutch gymnast Verona van de Leer was one of the most famous athletes in the world. The confrontation between the Euro 2002 medalist and vice-world champion van de Leer and the Russian gymnast Svetlana Khorkina graced the European Championship and forever entered the history of world sports.

Verona started her sports career at the age of 14 with the all-around. She won the national championship, and just two years later became one of the brightest stars of European gymnastics. At Euro 2002, van de Leer was ahead of Svetlana Khorkina in the number of medals won with a score of 5 against 4. Unfortunately, the Dutch athlete did not bring gold home that time — Verona lost only 0.05 points in the all-around to the Russian.

Just six months later, the Dutchwoman won a silver medal at the World Championships in floor exercises and, thus, became one of the favorites of the future 2004 Olympics in Athens. But van de Leer did not get to Greece, as her team won only two quotas. The girl was in the reserve team and gradually began to cool down to the big sport.

Later it turned out that the athlete was constantly subjected to severe pressure from the leadership of the federation and her family. Everyone needed new victories and medals, as well as the money that accompanied them. No one took into account the interests of Verona itself and it constantly oppressed her.

This interview of Verona, given to the press, became the cry of the soul of a person to whom there has been an exclusively consumer attitude since childhood.

After leaving the sport, van de Leer got into a cycle of troubles that radically changed her life. In 2009, the former champion sues her father, whom she accuses of embezzling money. According to Verona's version, he disposed at his discretion of her prize money and funds received from several sponsors.

The girl's father responded with a counterclaim - he accused his daughter's boyfriend of attacking with a baseball bat. But it didn't help and van de Leer won the court and recovered 63 thousand euros from the greedy parent. Her parents did not remain in debt — one day, returning home, Verona found new locks on the doors of her home. So she became homeless.

The money received in accordance with the court's decision quickly ran out and the girl began to starve. She had to spend the night with friends and in a car in parking lots. Verona ate irregularly, tasting or expired free products from the supermarket. It all ended with the fact that the former gymnastics star was behind bars.

In 2010, Verona, in dire need of money, photographed a couple in love in the park, which she took for secret lovers. The girl began blackmailing people she didn't know, threatening to make their secret affair public if she wasn't paid.

For compromising pictures, van de Leer demanded 3 thousand euros, but the couple decided not to pay and reported blackmail to the police. Law enforcement officers detained Verona and conducted a search. It was clearly not her day - in addition to a video with a couple in love on the hard drive of her laptop, police experts found two videos and 144 photos with child pornography. There was also an unregistered weapon in the former gymnast's car.

Under the burden of irrefutable evidence, Verona had to confess to extortion and possession of weapons, but she managed to disown porn with children. Together with her lawyer, van de Leer put pressure on the fact that several other people used her laptop and the investigators failed to prove her guilt.

According to the court's decision, Verona served 72 days of imprisonment, which she calls the most difficult episode of her life. In her autobiographical book, she would later write that this was the only period when she completely surrendered to despair and even considered suicide.

But all the bad things pass sooner or later, and after the release of the girl, luck smiled. One of the adult sites offered her to get naked in front of a webcam for money and Verona agreed. Lustful men were willing to pay 70 cents for a minute of communication with a webcam model.

The work brought van de Leer a good income, but the girl wanted "career growth". Verona starred in real porn and realized that she liked this job. Very soon, a pretty blonde with a toned athletic body became popular and real filming began for various companies, including in very tough genres.

Having got used to the porn industry a little, Verona launched her own adult website, where she offers to buy not only videos with her participation, but also various specific products. The assortment of the online store includes sexy underwear, high-heeled shoes and even exclusive costumes for gymnastics.

When journalists ask the former champion why she made such a strange choice in life, van de Leer answers without the slightest embarrassment that her whole life, one way or another, is connected with the demonstration of the body. According to Verona, gymnastics is the same exhibitionism and during her career she has repeatedly had to deal with both sexist behavior and outright harassment.

Now the former champion Verona van de Leer is doing fine — she is in demand in her new profession, rich and happy with life. If you believe her words, even if she had the opportunity to return to the world of big-time sports, she would never have done it.

Unfortunately, in this world, porn industry workers often earn more than athletes, even being amateurs.