Printer friendly version (.pdf)Date of Birth: 17 June 1988

Place of Birth: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Height: 176cm

Weight: 68kg

Swimming Club: St Peters Western Swimming Club in Brisbane

Coach: Michael Bohl

Age started swimming: Learn to Swim classes from 18 months of age. At nine years old Stephanie joined her first swimming club at Ascot State School.

Strokes: Butterfly, freestyle, medley

Sponsors: SunRice and Davenport

Charities: Stephanie supports the Princess Charlotte Alopecia Foundation and UNIFEM

 

Favourite exercise outside of swimming: Running and bike riding.

 

Favourite Foods: Rice, sushi, salad, Japanese and Mexican.

 

Favourite Quote: “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill.

 

Biggest influence in life: Stephanie’s swimming coach Michael Bohl. “Bohly helps me become the person that I want to be, in and out of the pool and he guides and inspires me to be the best I can be.”

 

Swimming hero: Susie O’Neill

 

St Margaret’s Primary School, Brisbane

Clayfield College in Brisbane, completing Year 12 in 2005.

 

In 2003 Stephanie was selected for the Australian Junior Team to compete at the Trans Tasman Series.

 

In 2004 Stephanie competed in the Junior Oceania Championships in Fiji, and the following year at the 2005 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Hawaii she was awarded as the Female Swimmer of the Meet.

 

In 2006, aged 17, Stephanie won gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in the 200m and 400m individual medleys.

 

The following year Stephanie won bronze medals in the 200m and 400m individual medleys at the World Championships, also held in Melbourne.

 

Stephanie won her first Olympic medal in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, winning gold in the women’s 400m individual medley in a world record time of 4 minutes 29.45 seconds. It was Australia’s first medal of the Beijing Games. Stephanie went on to win two more gold medals in world record-breaking times at the Beijing Olympics. Her second gold was in the 200m individual medley, swimming 2 minutes 8.34 seconds. Her third gold was in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay.

 

In 2009, Stephanie took home two silver (200IM and 4x100 Medley relay) and one bronze (400 Individual medley) medal from the 2009 World Championships in Rome.

 

Stephanie joined the Australian team at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in California in August 2010, but withdrew because of an injured right shoulder. She pulled out of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India to undergo surgery on her shoulder.

 

In 2011 Stephanie qualified for 4 Individual events at the FINA World Championships in Shanghai, the most of any of the Australian swim team but withdrew from the 100 Butterfly to concentrate on the 200 Individual medley which is scheduled on the same day.

 

Stephanie currently holds the world record in the 400m women’s individual medley with a time of 4 minutes 29.45 seconds.

 

2005 Best Female Swimmer of the meet at the Junior PanPacs in Hawaii.

 

Stephanie Rice was named "Most outstanding female athlete at the Beijing Olympics" in 2008 and was honoured to be Australia’s flag-bearer during the closing ceremony.

 

Following the Beijing Olympics, Stephanie was named Female World Swimmer of the Year, Telstra Australian Swimmer of the Year, Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year and Queensland Sportswoman of the Year. Awarded the 2008 Susie O’Neil Swimmer of the Meet (selected from the Australian Swimming Team)

 

She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on 26 January 2009.

 

On 1 September 2010, Stephanie underwent arthroscopic surgery on her right shoulder to remove an inflamed bursa. Post surgery, Stephanie spent two weeks out of the pool before returning to the water for light training. Stephanie underwent intensive rehabilitation and returned to competition in December 2010 at the Queensland State Championships.

 

Stephanie trains as part of a squad at St Peter’s Western Swimming Club in Brisbane’s inner suburbs.

 

A typical day of training involves:

 

5.15am Drive to the pool

 

5.30-8am 5-7km swim

 

8.30am Drive home for breakfast

 

9-10.30am Gym & Cardio session with a strength and conditioning coach

 

11am. Some days involve either massage or physiotherapy session.

 

12-3.15pm Rest time

 

4-7pm Dry land and core work followed by 5-7km Swim

 

7.30pm Home for dinner

 

 

Goals: “To make the team for the London 2012 Olympics and swim the best I can, and continue to travel the world with the Australian swim team.”

 

Home life: Stephanie lives in Brisbane and in her spare time she loves to relax with friends, go to the movies, listen to music and spend time with her family.