Stephanie Rice has shared how her friends and family feared she had 'joined a cult' when she first expressed her strong interest in Christianity. The former Olympic swimmer, 38, married pastor Mark Lassey earlier this month after just ten months of dating, with the pair bonding over the religion.
![[The former Olympic swimmer, 38, married pastor Mark Lassey earlier this month after just ten months of dating, with the pair bonding over the religion]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/24/09/94469477-14321031-image-a-32_1737712321398.jpg)
'A lot of people thought I'd lost my mind or fallen under some cult or something and that's fine,' she told the Courier Mail this week. Rice says that she rebuffs these concerns by asking, 'Aren't you happy for me that I'm in a good place?'. The athlete says she has thrown herself into religion '100 percent' and that doing so 'saved her'.
![['A lot of people thought I'd lost my mind or fallen under some cult or something and that's fine,' she told the Courier Mail this week]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/24/09/94469495-14321031-image-a-33_1737712354236.jpg)
Rice and her new husband, who is also a dedicated Christian, are now looking to the future. Stephanie Rice has shared how her friends and family feared she had 'joined a cult' when she first expressed her strong interest in Christianity. Pictured with husband Mark Lassey.
![[Rice and her new husband, who is also a dedicated Christian, are now looking to the future and hoping to start a family]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/24/09/94469479-14321031-Rice_and_her_new_husband_who_is_also_a_dedicated_Christian_are_n-m-36_1737712427821.jpg)
'We would love to (have a family) if that's something we're able to do,' she said. 'Mark has three kids so if he didn't want to have any more kids that would've been a really hard thing for me to weigh up because I've always wanted to be a mum.'. Stephanie stunned fans with a second wedding just days after her first earlier this month.
![[Stephanie stunned fans with a second wedding just days after her first earlier this month]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/24/09/94004029-14321031-The_former_Olympic_swimmer_38_then_held_a_second_wedding_again_i-a-37_1737712449439.jpg)
She tied the knot with her partner Mark following a whirlwind ten month romance earlier that week. Stephanie then held a second wedding - again in Perth - sharing a look at the event on social media. 'Because one night wasn't enough. We had the most amazing night celebrating our marriage and farewell with our favourite people, on the most amazing rooftop, in this beautiful city, under the presence of God,' she wrote in her Instagram caption.
![[Stephanie then held the second wedding - again in Perth - sharing a look at the event on social media]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/24/09/94004019-14321031-Stephanie_Rice_pictured_has_stunned_fans_with_a_second_wedding-a-38_1737712458276.jpg)
