Stephanie Rice breaks down in tears after 130 job applications lead nowhere - following her decision to quit when God 'asked her to resign'

Stephanie Rice is putting her search for a full-time job on hold after submitting more than 130 applications over eight months, revealing she believes her latest rejection was a sign from God.

The three-time Olympic gold medallist, 38, shared an emotional career update on Instagram, announcing she would now focus on launching a business she says was inspired by her faith.

Stephanie recently resigned from a director-level role while discussing an opportunity to become CEO because she felt God was telling her to leave.

Despite expecting another exciting position to follow quickly, the former swimming champion said she had reached the final stage of roughly five recruitment processes without securing a job.

Now, she is changing direction.

Speaking to the camera in a cobalt blue sleeveless top, with her dark hair pulled back and a small microphone in hand, Stephanie admitted she had struggled to get through filming the update.

'The first time, I was just way too emotional. The second time, my camera cut out, so here we are with take three,' she said in the video, which was shared on Instagram.

Stephanie explained she had spent 15 years running her own business before landing what she described as her first formal employment role about 18 months ago.

She said she secured two director-level positions in quick succession and was offered the opportunity to take over as CEO within eight months.

However, she walked away during negotiations after feeling her time with the company had come to an end.

Stephanie admitted she had expected to find another role within a short period, making the lengthy search that followed particularly difficult.

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

In the accompanying caption, Stephanie revealed she had even stayed home rather than travelling to Australia a few weeks earlier so she could be available for a follow-up interview.

She described progressing through fifth-round interviews and feeling more experienced, educated and capable than ever, only to encounter repeated setbacks.

The turning point came during a prayer walk, when she decided the outcome of her latest application would determine whether she continued 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.

Three hours later, she said, another rejection arrived.

Stephanie explained her emotional response was less about missing out on that particular position and more about accepting that her eight-month search had not unfolded as she had hoped.

But she said she also felt excited and hopeful about pursuing a business idea she believed God had given her six months earlier.

Initially intended as a side project alongside full-time work, the venture will now become her main focus for the remainder of the year.

Stephanie has yet to reveal what the business involves, promising to explain the concept in another video and document the process for her followers.

In a separate post, she appeared in a silver cowl-neck top and white trousers, standing behind a kitchen bench with her hands clasped and eyes closed.

Text over the footage encouraged followers to acknowledge the time and effort invested in a journey that had ended differently than what they had planned.

Alongside the clip, she shared a passage from Isaiah about leaving the past behind and embracing something new, adding that its references to the desert resonated with her life in Dubai.

The update follows a mixed response to Stephanie's earlier account of leaving her job, with some followers questioning her decision to base such a significant career move on her religious beliefs.

Others offered encouragement and praised her commitment to her faith.

Stephanie acknowledged that criticism in her latest video, recalling comments telling her to get a real job, but thanking those who had supported her.

The former Olympian has increasingly shared her Christian faith online since relocating to Dubai in 2023.

Last month, she revealed she was starting a new Instagram account using her married surname, Lassey, and rebuilding her career with Jesus at the centre of her life.

Stephanie married pastor Mark Lassey at a vineyard in Perth in January 2025, following their engagement the previous September.

She rose to international fame at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning three gold medals for Australia.