Stephanie Rice to return to Australia to marry pastor fiance

After less than a year in Dubai following a move than shocked fans, Stephanie Rice has announced she is making another geographical switch, this time with the sound of wedding bells in the air.

Stephanie Rice is engaged to her fiance Mark Lassey. Picture : Instagram

Olympic swimming legend Stephanie Rice is heading back to Australia after less than a year in Dubai, where she made headlines for her move late last year.

The gold medallist revealed the news on Instagram on Tuesday, sharing that she’s returning home to marry her fiance, Perth-based pastor Mark Lassey, after an eight-month whirlwind romance.

Stephanie Rice announces she's relocating back to Australia. Photo: Instagram.

Rice, who had described her December 2023 relocation to Dubai as a “fresh start,” surprised fans with the announcement.

In a post featuring a candid photo of her with two packed suitcases, Rice wrote, “Packed up my stuff in Dubai, put it all in storage, packed two suitcases, and headed for Australia to finish my Master’s degree and get married … so wild to think about!”

The engagement comes after a short but intense long-distance relationship that began soon after Rice’s move.

The couple, who met through mutual friends in February, quickly connected despite living on opposite sides of the world.

Lassey, a father of three and pastor with Kingdom City, a global church based in Perth, proposed at Dubai’s Atlantis Royal hotel just seven months into their relationship.

Instagram image of Stephanie Rice with her new partner Mark Lassey.

Stephanie Rice is engaged to her fiance Mark Lassey. Picture: Instagram

Rice, 36, has been vocal about how her new-found faith has played a central role in her recent life changes.

She embraced Christianity publicly last year and has credited her faith for the transformative events in her life.

“God has done a complete 180 on my life this year, and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” she wrote on social media.

Olympian Stephanie Rice left fans shocked after an emotional reveal on social media announcing she’s moved to Dubai back in December 2023. Photo: Facebook.

Her engagement was made public last month, just weeks after Rice went Instagram-official with the relationship.

“When we met almost 5 months ago, we both knew this was different! From the start, there was a deep intentionally between us,” she posted to Instagram in July announcing their relationship.

Describing Lassey as the man who “made her feel exactly where [she was] meant to end up,” Rice appears to be relishing the next phase of her life.

The news also marks a significant personal milestone for the former athlete, who ended her previous relationship with ex-boyfriend Dane Christison earlier this year.

Screenshots from Stephanie Rice Instagram reel of her and Dane Christison. Photo: @itsstephrice / Instagram

In May, Rice released a candid “Life Update” video to her 147,000 Instagram followers, explaining the end of her “really challenging relationship” with Christison and why she hadn’t kept them updated on her new life in Dubai.

In addition to wedding plans, Rice’s return to Australia will see her completing the Master’s degree she had put on hold during her Dubai chapter.

Originally published as Stephanie Rice to return to Australia to marry pastor fiance