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Three-time Olympic gold medallist Stephanie Rice has publicly announced that she’s ‘given her life to God’ in a recent social media post.

Her newly-found faith in Jesus was on display in a recent Instagram post on 7 January where she told her followers,

“Two months ago I gave my life to God. The journey since then has been wild, to say the least, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Those few weeks before turning to God were my lowest yet. I can’t tell you how broken I was. Getting Covid, feeling defeated after getting injured in SAS and having to re-live that pain again as it aired in the public eye. Doing back-to-back media and breaking down in tears in the few moments between interviews. Trying to pick myself up but feeling so defeated.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve gone through tough times before… but this was different… it was a loss of faith, of hope, and feeling like no matter how hard I tried or how many personal development books I read or how much I tried to manifest, nothing good seemed to last. That’s when I knew I had to do something different and I had to surrender it all to God.”

 

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A post shared by STEPHANIE RICE (@itsstephrice)

The video shows images of her in tears on the floor praying, praying with others during a Christmas event and being baptised.

Brokenness, Hopelessness, Faith and New Beginnings

During the last two months, Rice has embraced Jesus, been baptised, moved countries (to Dubai), and begun a new relationship with Dane Christison, whom she met at a church in Brisbane.

Her post on the importance of waiting for the right person and not lowering standards includes the hashtags #godslove #christian #blessed #faith and #godlyrelationship.

Rice likely attends Kingdomcity, which is a multi-campus church that has locations in Brisbane and Dubai.

She recently volunteered at Dubai Kingdomcity’s Christmas hamper giveaway, telling her followers that at the festive season we “so often focus on what we will receive, but the real joy comes from what you can give… @kingdomcitydubai what you have done for these people is such a blessing, and it was an honour to be a very small part of it.”

Olympic Gold

The 35-year-old retired from professional swimming in April 2014 after winning three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Stunningly, Rice made three world records in the races that resulted in the medals hanging around her neck. The three golds came from the 200- and 400-metre individual medleys and the 4 x 200-metre freestyle relay.

Stephanie’s Story Makes the Mainstream Media

The Courier Mail covered the story by writing Rice had undergone an “intense conversion” “to born-again Christianity” which “left fans concerned”.

If Rice had decided to convert to Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam, would the outlet have similarly labelled it ‘concerning’?

The article goes on to report that her “shock religious conversion” has left behind a “diversity of reactions”. While “some followers have expressed support and admiration”, “others have voiced scepticism and discomfort with her sudden and radical shift towards religion.”

Curiously, the story records no positive reactions, but only cynical and disapproving ones amongst its ‘diverse’ reporting.

More puzzling still is that a meandering scroll through the hundreds of comments on Rice’s post shows an incredibly vast majority of positive comments. Negative ones were hardly to be seen.

It appears that most of those who disagreed with Rice’s new-found faith preferred to scroll on to the next social media post, rather than take the effort to write a comment.

That the story at least made mainstream media news is something to be grateful for. Good news remains so even when it is not told in the most uplifting terms.

A Hope-Filled Beginning on a New Journey

Rice has been candid in sharing the downs in her story. She is also forthright in telling the highs.

Reflecting on what God has done during the past last two months, she states,

“He saved me. He is putting all the pieces back together again in the most beautiful way. At times it’s painful, but I know it will be beautiful. God has already blessed my life so richly and I’m excited to see where He takes me next.

“I pray that whoever needs to hear this, whoever resonates with this, that you know God is with you no matter what.”

There are no doubt many who do need to hear it, and that the former Olympian will inspire many others on their own journey.

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Photo via Stephanie Rice/Facebook.