Left Gymnastics for Money to Buy Food: The Dramatic Fall of a World-Class Gymnast Verona van de Leur
Verona van de Leur was once the bright star of Dutch gymnastics—a world silver medalist and a European multi-medalist who seemed destined for Olympic gold. The arc of her life, however, took a dark turn. She would later endure poverty, a legal battle with her father, and a prison sentence, before a controversial pivot that would redefine her career.
In This Article:
Early Triumphs: A Prodigy on the Rise
Her first major success came at 14, when she won the national all-around title. Two years later she stood among Europe’s best, collecting more medals than Svetlana Khorkina in the continental championships. Yet gold eluded her, as she lost the all-around to Khorkina by a razor-thin 0.05 points. In autumn 2002 she took silver at the World Championships on floor exercise, earned recognition at home, and was named Athlete of the Year. The Athens 2004 Olympics looked within reach, but an injury kept her from competing. The next four seasons were a battle to regain her form, and in 2008 she again became national champion before retiring.
The Price of Fame: Family Ruin and Exile
Her memoir reveals a painful financial collapse at home. “I became a product for the federation, parents and sponsors,” she writes. “My father spent five thousand euros in Las Vegas.” In the last year of her career she asked her parents for money, but did not receive a clear answer. She sued her father and was expelled from home, spending years on the margins—living in her boyfriend’s car, stealing food, and sleeping in parking lots. She refused government aid, fearing judgment.
Desperation, Extortion, and a New Path
In a moment of desperation she attempted to extort money by threatening to reveal intimate moments she witnessed in a car: she demanded 1,000 euros for silence. The victims filed a police report, and during the search they found a weapon in the car and porn files on the computer. The defense argued that others used the computer as well, but the court still found her guilty of extortion and sentenced her to 72 days in prison. After her release, she was 25—with no family and a career behind her. She chose a radical new path: entering the adult industry. Beginning in 2011, she worked as a webcam model, launched an erotic site, and sold photographs, videos, and even personal items—lingerie, shoes, and gymnast costumes. She says the money eventually topped even her athletic earnings. “Being a gymnast is also exhibitionism,” she notes, “you publicly present yourself and you face sexual harassment.”
Redemption and a New Voice
In 2020 she published the memoir Just Verona, sharing the full arc of her life. Today she advises young athletes on violence and harassment in sport, arguing that critics who condemn her erotic work would understand the realities of the sports world if they knew what she faced. Verona van de Leur now has millions of fans online—proof that resilience and reinvention can outlast scandal.
