Stephanie Rice Defends Quitting Job After Claiming Divine Instruction

Olympic swimming champion Stephanie Rice has defended her decision to resign from her job, a move she said was prompted by a divine instruction to quit rather than accept a promotion to CEO. Rice, 38, revealed earlier this year that despite being offered her "dream position" as CEO, she felt compelled to resign as a director of her company because "God asked me to resign." She stated, "I obeyed."

Rice, who recently announced she will now use her married name, Stephanie Lassey, reiterated her conviction about the choice this week. She acknowledged that her decision has drawn criticism, with some commenters on social media calling it "stupid" and questioning the financial implications of resigning without savings. Rice, however, believes her circumstances will ultimately serve as a testament to her faith.

"I see comments that are like, 'Wow, not exactly being a great promotion for God. Like, resigning and not having any savings left,'" Rice said in a recent Instagram post discussing a passage about wisdom from the biblical book of James. "And I'm like, actually, let me tell you and let me declare, this is the best promotion for God. Because what He is about to do, there is no denying that it is Him and Him alone."

Becoming emotional, Rice admitted that trusting the future had been challenging. "It has been a really, like, stripping season," she said. "But it's really tough when you're right in the middle of it, when you're believing and you're holding on."

This explanation follows Rice's candid reflections on her life post-swimming, where she described struggles with separating her identity from her athletic achievements. "I've won Olympic gold. Made millions of dollars, lost almost everything. Found Jesus," she wrote previously. She detailed facing public scrutiny, negative comments, legal disputes, and business failures that impacted her outlook.

Rice noted that her first corporate role provided significant income, yet she chose to step down. "I'm back at zero," she wrote, describing herself as "rebuilding at 38."

Rice publicly shared her conversion to Christianity in 2024 and married Kingdomcity pastor Mark Lassey in Perth in January 2025. She is also transitioning to a new Instagram account under her married name, moving away from her established audience of approximately 140,000 followers. She explained that she wants her new account to reflect her faith and the next phase of her life, acknowledging that starting over might seem "part crazy."

Rice, who won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, retired from competitive swimming in 2014. She now states that she is relying on her religious beliefs to navigate this new chapter. "I pray that you would endure because that blessing is coming."