For someone who once stood at the top of the sporting world, winning three Olympic gold medals for Australia, Stephanie Rice has admitted that finding her next professional chapter has been far more difficult than she ever imagined.

At 38, the former swimming champion is facing another major turning point. After eight months of searching, more than 130 job applications and several recruitment processes that brought her close to securing a position, Stephanie has decided to put her search for full-time employment on hold.

But it was not simply another rejection that brought her to tears.

In an emotional Instagram update, Stephanie revealed that she had been waiting for a new opportunity ever since walking away from a senior corporate role — a decision she says she made after believing God was asking her to resign.

Now, following one final setback, she believes it may be time to pursue an entirely different path.

“I WAS JUST WAY TOO EMOTIONAL”: THE VIDEO SHE STRUGGLED TO FILM

Stephanie did not try to hide how difficult the latest chapter had been.

In the Instagram video, the three-time Olympic champion admitted that filming the update had taken more than one attempt because she was too emotional to get through it.

“The first time, I was just way too emotional. The second time, my camera cut out, so here we are with take three,” she explained.

Her words reflected the frustration that had been building over months of trying to find her place in the corporate world again.

Stephanie said she had submitted more than 130 applications over eight months and had reached the final stages of approximately five recruitment processes.

Despite progressing through multiple interviews and believing she had the experience and qualifications for the positions, none had resulted in the outcome she was hoping for.

“And to sit here eight months later and literally have nothing to show for all of this effort and emotion is so frustrating,” she admitted.

For Stephanie, the disappointment was about much more than one unsuccessful application. It was the emotional toll of repeatedly believing a new opportunity was within reach, only to find herself back at the beginning.

THE CEO OPPORTUNITY SHE WALKED AWAY FROM

The latest setback becomes even more significant when looking back at the decision that started this difficult period.

Stephanie explained that she had spent approximately 15 years running her own businesses before entering formal corporate employment around 18 months ago.

After relocating to Dubai in 2023, she eventually secured senior director-level positions in quick succession. Within eight months, she was offered the opportunity to step into a chief executive role — a position she described as her dream opportunity.

But just as her corporate career appeared to be taking off, she made a decision few would have expected.

During negotiations surrounding the CEO opportunity, Stephanie said she felt God was asking her to resign and that her time with the company had come to an end.

She chose to walk away, believing another door would soon open.

However, the new opportunity she expected did not arrive as quickly as she had imagined.

Instead, she found herself navigating months of applications, interviews and repeated disappointment — a very different experience from the professional breakthrough she had anticipated.

THE PRAYER WALK THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

The turning point came during a prayer walk, when Stephanie decided to place the outcome of her latest job application in God’s hands.

She recalled asking for a clear sign about whether she should continue pursuing full-time employment.

“Lord, if this job doesn’t come through, which on paper I am perfect for, I’m just taking it as the sign that you don’t want me pursuing a full-time job right now, because it does not make sense,” she recalled praying.

According to Stephanie, just three hours later, she received another rejection.

The timing left a deep impression on her.

She explained that her tears were not simply about missing out on that particular position. Instead, they came from having to accept that eight months of effort, anticipation and emotional investment had not unfolded as she had hoped.

For someone who had spent much of her life working towards ambitious goals, accepting that a carefully planned career path might not be the right one was clearly difficult.

Yet Stephanie said the rejection also brought a sense of clarity.

She now believes it is time to stop pursuing traditional full-time employment, at least for the remainder of the year.

A BUSINESS IDEA SHE HAS KEPT QUIET FOR SIX MONTHS

Despite the disappointment, Stephanie says she is not giving up on her ambitions.

In fact, she is preparing to take a different opportunity more seriously.

The former Olympian revealed that she has been developing a business idea for approximately six months — something she believes was placed on her heart through her faith.

Originally, she had intended to build the venture alongside a full-time corporate position.

But with her job search now on hold, the business will become her main focus for the rest of the year.

Stephanie has not yet revealed exactly what the venture involves, promising to explain the concept in a future video and document the process for her followers.

The decision marks another significant change for the former athlete, who has already experienced several professional reinventions since retiring from competitive swimming.

This time, however, she appears determined to approach the journey differently, sharing the uncertainty and challenges rather than waiting until everything looks successful.

“A NEW THING”: THE MESSAGE SHE IS HOLDING ONTO

In a separate social media post, Stephanie shared a message about accepting the time and effort invested in a journey that ultimately ended differently from what had been planned.

She also referenced a passage from the Book of Isaiah, which speaks about leaving the past behind and embracing something new.

The references to the desert particularly resonated with her, given her life in Dubai.

The message appeared to reflect the change in direction she is now trying to embrace: rather than continuing to measure her progress against the career she thought she would have, she wants to make room for something different.

It is a sentiment that carries particular weight after the disappointment of the past eight months.

THE CRITICISM THAT FOLLOWED HER DECISION

Stephanie’s latest update also comes after her earlier decision to leave her corporate role attracted mixed reactions online.

Some followers questioned why she would walk away from a significant career opportunity based on what she believed was a message from God.

Others supported her commitment to her faith and encouraged her to trust the direction she felt she was being led towards.

In her latest video, Stephanie acknowledged that she had seen the criticism, including comments telling her to get a “real job”.

However, she also took time to thank those who had offered encouragement throughout the difficult period.

Since moving to Dubai in 2023, Stephanie has become increasingly open about her Christian faith, sharing how it has influenced major decisions in her personal and professional life.

Last month, she also announced that she was launching a new Instagram account under her married surname, Stephanie Lassey, as part of a broader effort to rebuild her career and share this new chapter.

FROM THREE OLYMPIC GOLDS TO STARTING AGAIN AT 38

Stephanie first became a household name at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she won three gold medals for Australia in the 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly.

After retiring from competitive swimming in 2014, she spent years exploring different business and career opportunities.

Her life took another unexpected turn when she moved to Dubai in 2023. She later married pastor Mark Lassey in Perth in January 2025, following their engagement the previous September.

Now, with her full-time job search on hold, Stephanie is preparing to take another professional leap — this time through a business venture she has yet to reveal.

It is a striking change of direction for someone whose sporting career was built on discipline, determination and knowing exactly what she was working towards.

But perhaps the hardest part of this latest chapter has been accepting that effort alone does not always guarantee the outcome we hope for.

After 130 applications, months of interviews and a CEO opportunity she once believed was her dream, Stephanie is now choosing to take a different road.

And while the details of her new business remain under wraps, one thing is clear: she is not ready to let this difficult chapter define the rest of her story.