Olympic swimming champion Stephanie Rice has paused her eight-month search for a full-time job after receiving more than 130 rejections.
The 38-year-old Australian sports star revealed that she views the string of unsuccessful job applications as a clear sign from God to alter her professional path.
Rice shared the raw career update in a video posted to her Instagram account, telling followers that she will now focus on establishing a new business venture inspired by her Christian faith.
The former athlete recently walked away from a senior corporate role where she was in talks to become chief executive officer, deciding to step down because she felt God instructed her to resign.
Although she expected to secure another position shortly afterwards, Rice said she advanced to the final rounds of roughly five executive hiring processes without receiving a single offer.
Speaking directly to the camera in a cobalt blue sleeveless top with her dark hair pulled back, holding a small microphone, Rice confessed that she found the recording process intensely challenging.
Rice explained to her audience that her first attempt at filming was abandoned because she became overwhelmed with emotion. When her camera cut out during the second take, she finally completed the message on her third attempt.
"The first time, I was just way too emotional. The second time, my camera cut out, so here we are with take three," Rice said in the clip shared with her followers.
Executive Roles and Application Struggles
Before entering the corporate workforce, Rice spent 15 years building and managing her own business enterprises following her retirement from competitive swimming. She secured her first formal employment position roughly 18 months ago, entering the corporate sector at an executive level.
Her early corporate trajectory progressed rapidly, with Rice earning two director-level appointments in quick succession. Within eight months, discussions were under way for her to assume the role of chief executive officer.
Negotiations ended when Rice chose to step down from the position. She explained that she felt her time with the organisation had naturally finished and that a higher power was directing her elsewhere.
Rice assumed that her high profile and executive track record would make finding another position straightforward. Instead, she encountered months of repeated disappointment.
"And to sit here eight months later and literally have nothing to show for all of this effort and emotion is so frustrating," Rice admitted.
The application process demanded considerable personal sacrifice. Rice revealed that she opted to stay home instead of travelling to Australia several weeks ago, ensuring she remained available for an unexpected follow-up interview.
Despite progressing through gruelling recruitment procedures that reached fifth-round interviews, each prospective opportunity ultimately fell through. Rice noted that she entered the hiring market feeling more experienced, educated and capable than at any previous point in her career.
Career Rejection and Prayer Walk
The turning point in her protracted job search arrived during a recent prayer walk, when Rice decided to leave the fate of her professional life entirely in God's hands.
She resolved that the pending result of her most recent interview would serve as the definitive benchmark for whether she should continue seeking corporate employment.
Rice recounted the specific prayer she made during her walk: "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."
The answer came with surprising speed. Just three hours after finishing her walk, Rice received an email confirming that her application had been rejected.
Rice explained that her emotional breakdown on camera was not simply about losing out on that single corporate role. Rather, it stemmed from having to accept that eight months of exhaustive effort had failed to produce the result she had envisioned.
New Faith-Inspired Business
Despite the painful conclusion to her job search, Rice said she now feels genuine hope and excitement about charting a new entrepreneurial course.
Her focus has shifted entirely to a commercial concept she believes God revealed to her six months ago. The venture was originally intended to run as a side project alongside a demanding corporate career, but it will now serve as her primary focus for the rest of the year.
While Rice has not yet revealed the specific nature or industry of the company, she promised to share full details in a future video update and document the entire startup journey for her social media audience.
In a subsequent post, Rice appeared behind a kitchen counter wearing a silver cowl-neck top and white trousers, with her hands clasped and eyes shut in contemplation.
Onscreen text encouraged viewers to honour the dedication and time invested in plans that do not turn out as intended. She accompanied the visual with a passage from the biblical book of Isaiah about forgetting past events and embracing new beginnings, noting that its imagery of streams in the desert struck a chord with her day-to-day life in Dubai.
Life in Dubai and Olympic Legacy
Rice relocated to Dubai in 2023, where she has increasingly used her public platform to speak about her Christian faith and personal transformation.
Her personal life underwent a major milestone in January 2025, when she married church pastor Mark Lassey at a vineyard ceremony in Perth, Western Australia, following their engagement in September 2024.
Last month, Rice launched a fresh Instagram profile under her married name, Lassey, telling supporters that she intends to rebuild her professional pursuits with Jesus Christ placed firmly at the centre.
Her open discussions about religion have sparked varying reactions across social media. While many followers questioned the wisdom of leaving a senior executive position solely because of religious conviction, others praised her courage and steadfast faith.
Rice addressed the pushback directly, noting that several critics had bluntly told her to get a real job. She thanked those who had offered words of encouragement and stood by her throughout the transition.
Rice first gained international recognition as one of Australia's greatest swimmers at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. She captured three Olympic gold medals in the 200-metre individual medley, the 400-metre individual medley, and the 4x200-metre freestyle relay, breaking world records in all three finals before retiring from the sport in 2014.
