Stephanie Rice Quits CEO Role for Side Business
The former Olympic swimmer says repeated job rejections led her to commit full-time to a manifestation journal venture.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Swimming
Live Poll
Is now a good time to leave a job search and start your own business?
Three-time Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice resigned from a director role that had been promoted to CEO before she started, after applying to more than 130 jobs. She has announced she is committing full-time to a side business, a manifestation or prayer journal.
Why it matters
Rice's decision highlights the difficulty some experienced professionals face in re-entering the workforce after a high-profile career in sport. Her account frames repeated rejections as a personal sign, a choice that reflects a broader shift toward self-directed work.
Rice reports more than 130 job applications and final-stage interviews in five processes over an eight-month search, figures she presents from her own account. The source does not disclose the business's revenue or funding, and it is unclear how she will support herself.
The players
Stephanie Rice
Stephanie Rice is a former Australian swimmer who won three Olympic gold medals before retiring from professional competition in 2014.
The details
Rice announced the career move on a new Instagram account through a 13-slide post and video. She said she made the decision after a final rejection, which she interpreted as a sign while on a prayer walk, and she left the director role she had landed about 18 months earlier.
Timeline
2014: Rice retired from professional swimming.
2023: Rice moved from Australia to Dubai.
2025: Rice married Mark Lassey.
A few days before the announcement: Rice received her final job rejection.
Career Transitions
Many retired Olympians move into corporate leadership or broadcasting after their sporting careers end. Rice's pivot away from executive employment toward a self-run side venture departs from that common route.
Rice's announcement matters to readers who follow Australian swimming, since it concerns a former national gold medallist's post-sport path. The source gives no fixture, contract or scheduling consequence for any competition.
The takeaway
Former elite athletes often face a long search for work that matches their experience, and the public record of that search can shape how they choose their next step. Readers weighing a career change can compare job-search timelines before committing to a single path.
Further reading
Explore more Swimming coverage from across Australia.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Nine.
Live Poll
Is now a good time to leave a job search and start your own business?
