- Stephanie Rice took a DNA test
- She was shocked by some findings
- Rice is an Australian Olympic legend
Stephanie Rice has revealed how a recent DNA test opened her eyes.
Swimming legend Rice, 36, is best known for her astonishing performances at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where she won gold medals in the 200m and 400m individual medley.
Since retiring from swimming in 2014, Rice has remained involved in the sport and will commentate at this year’s Games in Paris.
And, along with fellow legend Cathy Freeman, Rice took a DNA test in an attempt to learn more about herself.
As expected, the test revealed that she is competitive and best suited to individual sports such as swimming.
However, Rice was found to be less likely to enjoy watching sports than playing them. Having enjoyed playing hockey and cycling as a child, the 36-year-old can understand the findings.
“I wonder why we were so focused on sports that we didn’t really get into it from a hobby perspective, but in saying that there are so many athletes who are just fans of sports and spend all their time watching them,” Rice said, referencing Freeman’s results, which revealed a similar mindset.
“But if we were on a trivia team, Cathy Freeman and I would be the most horrible people on the team, because everyone’s expectation would be ‘we have Steph and Cathy, they’re going to know all the sports trivia. ‘ But unless I was competing at the time, I wouldn’t have a clue.”
Stephanie Rice revealed what she learned from a DNA test
The Olympic legend discovered more about herself
Rice recently revealed she is in a relationship with Australian church pastor Mark Lassey, a father of three, and said she laughed when she saw his DNA results.
“It’s a no-brainer,” he said.
“I want to win, it’s a fun thing now… I’m not a big loser, but I’ve gotten better at it,” she laughed.
The test also found that Rice is risk-averse and not a natural leader.
‘Taking risks is really interesting because when it comes to giving up and just seeing what’s possible, I’m really happy to take a big risk and try something new and get out of my comfort zone.
“But if it’s physical risk, I’m totally risk-averse, so if it’s heights or something a little scary, that’s not me,” she said.
‘I didn’t have many friends at school and I had to fight against bullying in primary school… swimming, my environment, the competitiveness and the feeling of confidence of being good at something trained me to be a leader.’
