Stephanie Rice has prompted concern among fans after moving to Dubai and embracing evangelical Christianity, with some followers questioning whether the former Olympic champion has been “brainwashed” amid a series of major changes in her life.
The 38-year-old, who won three Olympic gold medals, returned to Instagram this week through a new account after adopting the surname of her pastor husband, Mark Lassey.
In a lengthy post, Rice revealed that she had rejected an opportunity to become a company CEO, despite calling it her dream role, because she believed God was telling her to step down.
The decision left her without a job or savings, but Stephanie said she remained confident that God would guide her towards a prosperous future.
“I was offered to become CEO, my dream position… but God asked me to resign, I obeyed,” she wrote.
Her admission confused some fans, prompting Stephanie to post a video on Friday in which she insisted that her critics simply “don’t get it.”
Stephanie Rice has prompted concern among fans after relocating to Dubai and embracing evangelical Christianity, with some followers questioning whether the former Olympic champion has been “brainwashed” following a series of dramatic life changes.
On Sunday, Stephanie shared a post explaining that she had declined an opportunity to become CEO, despite describing it as her dream job, because she believed God was telling her to resign.
“There are a lot of people that have been commenting on my posts like, ‘That’s stupid,’” she said. “And I’m like, ‘You don’t get it, you just don’t get it.’”
Rice became emotional while reading from her Bible and discussing the uncertainty surrounding her current situation. She said she looked forward to eventually sharing her success story with her followers.
The video nevertheless triggered another wave of criticism, with some followers asking whether religion had “brainwashed” her.
“The delusion is so amazing babe!” one user wrote sarcastically, while another commented: “Poor brainwashed girl.”
“You’ve lost the plot. Get some help,” another person wrote. A fourth user added: “Mate, you are cooked. Get some help.”
Another follower claimed Rice had been “sucked into a religious cult,” adding that it was sad because she was “obviously a smart woman.”
However, many other users came to Stephanie’s defence.
“I get it babe! God has so many blessings coming your way. He is so faithful,” one supporter wrote.
Her admission confused some fans, prompting Stephanie to post a video on Friday in which she declared that her critics simply “don’t get it.”
The video sparked another wave of backlash, with some followers questioning whether Stephanie had been “brainwashed” by religion.
Another supporter agreed, writing: “How blessed are we that we actually understand it’s beyond our comprehension. So encouraging, amazing.”
A further comment added: “Yeah you tell ’em!! Our God is faithful.”
Stephanie revealed how God had told her to quit her job in a post on Sunday, in which she reflected on the dramatic highs and lows that have shaped her life since retiring from elite sport.
‘Feels like the perfect time to start a fresh account, in my new name, and with a new commitment to sharing the journey God is taking me on,’ she wrote.
In her bio, Stephanie described the account as being for the woman ‘who knows she is capable of more but is tired of starting over’.
‘I’m rebuilding at 38, but this time, with Jesus at the centre of it all,’ she added.
The new account marks another chapter in Stephanie’s extraordinary reinvention since she left Australia for Dubai in 2023, declaring she had bought a one-way ticket to begin a new life with God at the centre of it.
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The Olympian admitted she was taking a risk by leaving behind her existing Instagram audience to build a new community from scratch.
However, there were plenty of users who rushed to defend Stephanie
‘Probably part crazy to be walking away from 140,000 people, but honestly I’d rather start again knowing the people joining now want to be a part of the story God’s writing, not the one that’s already been written, even if that’s just a small amount,’ she wrote.
Stephanie also offered a candid account of how she had come to reassess her relationship with success.
‘I’ve won Olympic gold. Made millions of dollars. Lost everything. Found Jesus,’ she wrote alongside a photograph of herself wearing a purple jacket and gold Dior earrings.
‘And now, at 38, I’m rebuilding my career all over again. On the outside I had it all. Don’t get me wrong. It was incredible. But somewhere along the way, I started tying my value to my success,’ she continued.
‘My confidence went up and down, depending on how I was performing, how much money I was making and what other people thought of me.’
The former swimming star said public scrutiny, hateful comments, legal battles and failed businesses had contributed to some of the most difficult periods of her life.
She credited her Christian faith with helping her through those struggles, writing that she had been exhausted from trying to turn her circumstances around when she found Jesus.
‘I surrendered it all to him and we started the most incredible journey together,’ she said.
Stephanie revealed how God had told her to quit her job in a post on Sunday, in which she reflected on the dramatic highs and lows that have shaped her life since retiring from elite sport
Stephanie subsequently sold her possessions, packed up her life in Australia and moved to Dubai without a job, friends or a plan for what would come next.
She later secured a role as a company director, where she said she was earning more than she had in years.
‘Eight months into that role, I was offered to become a CEO, my dream position,’ she revealed, adding: ‘But God asked me to resign. I obeyed.’
The decision has left Stephanie facing another professional reset, despite believing her career would be further along by now.
‘It’s been one of the most testing seasons of my life, but I trust God and I’ve learned I can’t force or speed up his plans or when he opens the next door. But I can control what I do in the meantime,’ she wrote.
Stephanie is now using her new account to promote her business consulting services, with a focus on women who feel they have untapped potential.
She ended her post with a message of encouragement for those who might be experiencing similar setbacks.
‘You don’t lack dreams or desire, you lack the consistency and system to see it through,’ she wrote.
She married Lassey (right), a pastor with the Kingdom Church, in January 2025, four months after he proposed
Stephanie first rose to international fame at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she won three gold medals, including world-record victories in the 200m and 400m individual medley.
She married Lassey, a pastor with the Kingdom Church, in January 2025, four months after he proposed.
The wedding took place at a vineyard in Lassey’s native Perth.
The couple met at the start of 2024 and got engaged in September after seven months of dating.
Mark is a father to three sons – Tyler, Joel and Luke – from a previous relationship.