Olympic silver medal runner Nick Willis has been praised for going public about his battle with pornography addiction.
The athlete revealed on Facebook he's now two and a half years porn-free.
His admission has ignited discussion around a normally-taboo subject.
Most of us know Nick Willis as a champion runner, flag bearer and Olympic silver medallist.
But today he's revealed one of his toughest battles has been waged off the track --going public about his struggle with a pornography addiction.
The athlete spoke of a "rollercoaster ride" with shame and justification since his teenage years, which he said left him feeling empty and alone.
His shocking admission sparked praise from many.
"I think Nick should be really commended for putting his face to something that's generally quite taboo it's generally something that everyone's doing but not talking about," says Anti-sexual violence campaigner Richie Hardcore.
But Willis is just one of many kiwis who have become hooked.
Statistics released by pornography website Pornhub rated New Zealand fifth for the number of page views per capita in 2015.
The national addictions centre believes that number will keep growing.
Simon Adamson believes easy accessibility is driving the problem, but says due to the secrecy shrouding many porn addicts, there are no firm statistics.
"Any of the issues that we have is because it's not a formally recognised diagnosis, but it's clearly a problem that people are experiencing. It's one of those problems that falls through the gaps in the public health system," says Mr Adamson.
Mr Hardcore believes the high profile post will help to shine more light on the issue, and hopes Willis will continue to speak out.
"I think the more people that talk about it in a serious way rather than just laughing it off. I think it'll really have some positive ramifications," says Mr Hardcore.
Willis didn't respond to our interview request but took to Facebook to discuss the media reaction to his post. He said breaking his silence was worth it, and hopes it'll help at least one person win their battle with porn addiction.
Newshub.