Stephanie Rice is engaged! Swimming legend announces her Australian pastor boyfriend Mark Lassey has popped the question in Dubai after a whirlwind seven-month romance

Stephanie Rice has announced that she is engaged to her boyfriend Mark Lassey after dating for seven months.

The 36-year-old swimming legend confirmed the happy news on Instagram on Thursday, just weeks after she first spoke openly about her relationship with Mark in July.

She shared some sweet snaps of the moment pastor and Australian father of three Mark proposed to her at the luxurious Atlantis The Royal hotel in Dubai.

The couple, who met about seven months ago, looked overjoyed as they beamed from ear to ear and kissed as Stephanie flashed her diamond sparkler.

Stephanie looked effortlessly glamorous in a gorgeous white floral dress and heels during the picture-perfect proposal at an outdoor hotel.

She accentuated her stunning features with a glamorous makeup palette and looked happier than ever as she snuggled up to her new fiancé.

Mark looked handsome in a white shirt, cream trousers and black jacket as he presented Stephanie with a diamond ring from Charles Edward Jewellers in Perth.

The newly engaged couple shared a romantic kiss after Mark popped the big question.

Stephanie Rice has announced that she is engaged to her boyfriend Mark Lassey after seven months of dating

The 36-year-old swimming legend confirmed the happy news on Instagram on Thursday, just weeks after she first went public with her romance with Mark in July.

She shared a series of adorable snaps of the moment pastor and Australian father-of-three Mark popped the question at Dubai’s luxury Atlantis The Royal hotel

In the caption she wrote enthusiastically, “To new beginnings and second chances… Yes, to a life with you.”

She concluded her message with a Bible verse: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4.

Their engagement comes just weeks after Stephanie first went public with their romance on Instagram in July.

Stephanie quietly dated the Australian pastor for five months before officially confirming their relationship.

They met through a mutual friend and subsequently began a long-distance relationship, with Mark living in Perth and Stephanie moving to Dubai in November.

“When we met almost 5 months ago, we both knew this was different!” she wrote enthusiastically in an Instagram post, along with fun snaps of her and Mark.

“From the beginning there was a deep connection between us. Because our lives are so complex, we wanted to spend the first few months with just family and friends. We wanted to enjoy the miracle of falling in love.”

“But as God would have it, that first phone call made us feel like this was exactly where we were both meant to end up,” she continued, before describing their long-distance relationship.

The couple, who met about seven months ago, looked overjoyed as they beamed from ear to ear and shared a kiss, while Stephanie flashed her diamond sparkler

The newly engaged couple were all about the PDA as they shared a romantic kiss after Mark popped the big question

Stephanie looked effortlessly glamorous in a gorgeous white floral dress and strappy heels during the picture-perfect proposal at an outdoor hotel

‘It has been challenging living halfway around the world, in different time zones (thankfully we have Zoom), but God has been so good and present every step of the way, giving us unwavering confidence that our future will be even more extraordinary because of Him.

‘If there is one word that sums up how we both feel right now, it is thankful. Thankful for God, thankful that He brought us together at His perfect timing, thankful for a fresh start.

‘Grateful for the peace and strength we find in each other, grateful for our loving friends and family, grateful for an amazing church and mentors who support us on our journey, and most of all, grateful for each other.’

Mark is a pastor at the Perth organization and has been involved with the church for over 10 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He is also the father of three sons – Tyler, Joel and Luke – whom Stephanie has already met, as their budding relationship has only grown stronger.

Olympic gold medalist Stephanie joined the church when she made her surprise move to Dubai late last year and is heavily involved in Kingdom City.

Their engagement comes just weeks after Stephanie first went public with their romance in an Instagram post in July, after five months of dating

Mark is a father to three sons – Tyler, Joel and Luke (all pictured) – who Stephanie has already met, as their budding relationship has only grown stronger

“I honestly never thought I would become this person who would show up at prayer nights, by myself, in a new country, and connect with a community through a church,” she said at the time.

“But here I am, and my goodness, it’s so special and it’s helped me feel so supported in this new home in Dubai.”

Kingdom City was founded in Perth in 2003 and has since expanded globally with offices in Africa, Europe and Asia, as well as the Middle East.

Stephanie previously dated former soldier Dane Christison, whom she met in an Australian church.

The couple went on holiday to the United States together at Christmas 2022, but split again a few months later, in May 2023.

The athlete later spoke candidly about how happy she was that their relationship was over.

“When I moved, I wanted to share the journey with you guys even more, in real time,” she said.

Mark (right) is a pastor at the Perth organisation and has been with the church for over 10 years, while Stephanie joined the church after moving to Dubai late last year.

“I just went through the deepest healing. I was in a very challenging relationship at the time, when we broke up, I felt the peace of God resting on me. I felt free. I felt happy.

Stephanie said her new life in Dubai has taken a burden off her shoulders.

“For the first time I realized the weight that I was carrying. I felt like everything was falling away from me and I’m in a great place now where I feel so happy and content,” she said.

“God is so good. I see so much fruit from the wonderful things that God has given me, and I’m excited to share so much more of what’s happened in the last six months,” she said.

‘Now I have much more clarity, much more peace and much more happiness.’