Stephanie Rice’s mystery new Aussie boyfriend revealed as Brisbane man and former soldier Dane Christison
The identity of Olympic gold medalist Stephanie Rice's new boyfriend has been revealed a week after the couple launched their relationship on social media.
Ny Breaking Australia can exclusively reveal that the man photographed kissing the Australian swimming champion's cheek is former Brisbane soldier Dane Christison.
Rice, 35, recently shared a series of loved-up photos of herself and Christison, 41, on Instagram from New York, telling her followers that the pair met through a church connection.
'I never expected the year to end like this!!' Rice wrote in an Instagram post.
'I give my life to God, follow his call to move my life to Dubai, meet you during my first week at church in Brisbane and spend our first Christmas together in New York.
Olympic swimmer Stephanie Rice, 35, (right) celebrated Christmas last weekend with boyfriend Dane Christison by her side during a romantic trip to New York City
“I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this. You just have to keep faith in his plan and in his timing.
“God is so good and I can't wait to see what he has in store for 2024.”
Rice also shared videos on her Instagram Stories showing that her vacation in the United States included a road trip and a train ride through the picturesque Colorado Rockies.
Another video showed the couple riding in a car together while listening to worship music.
Christison previously served in East Timor (Timor-Leste) and Iraq.
Rice revealed she met the former soldier, 41, through church
Olympian Stephanie Rice has turned to God after her shocking move to Dubai to start a new life
Christison previously served in East Timor (Timor-Leste) and Iraq
He now runs a company called Survive to Thrive Nation, which coaches current and former military personnel on how to successfully return to civilian life.
“We train people to go to war, but we don't train them to come home,” he said in an SBS Viceland documentary.
“Why Don't We Condition Ourselves to Suffer Trauma?”
Rice shocked fans earlier this month with the announcement that she has moved to Dubai and has no plans to return to Australia.
She previously told her Instagram followers about her Christian faith and why it was the catalyst for her decision to start a new life abroad.
The loved-up couple drove through the picturesque Colorado Rockies while listening to worship music
The couple spent their first Christmas together in New York City
She shared a photo on Instagram of herself and other members of the Kingdom City Church gathering for prayer.
“I honestly never thought I would be the person showing up to prayer nights on my own in a new country and connecting with a community through a church,” she wrote.
'But here I am, and god, it's so special and it's made me feel so supported in this new home in Dubai.'
Kingdom City started in Perth in 2003 and was founded by Mark Varughese.
It has now grown into a global movement with offices in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Australia.