BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Olivia Dunne, the 20-year-old LSU junior, has gone from Division One college athlete to a renowned household name, all thanks to her insane number of social media followers. Dunne aka Livvy or the ''golden girl'' of sports, managed to vault into the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in April.
With her wide presence on the Internet, people may feel that they know everything about her. However, there are a few little-known things about Dunne that might surprise her fans. Keep reading to find out some unknown facts about her.
5 untold secrets of Olivia Dunne
1. She started gymnastics at the age of three
Dunne, a native of New Jersey, started her gymnastics training at the age of three. According to Dunne's website, the only reason she wanted to learn gymnastics was so she could wear a glittering pink leotard. When she was eleven years old, she ended up falling in love with the sport and decided to turn into an elite gymnast, making history as the nation's youngest person to achieve the 'Junior International Elite' status.
2. Suni Lee and Olivia Dunne are good friends
Suni Lee, who won the gold medal in the all-around competition at the 2020 Olympics, is good friends with Olivia Dunne, who also ended up going to the 2022 ESPY Awards with her. Although Lee presently attends Auburn University and competes for their gymnastics team, their friendship hasn't wavered, and they still hang out whenever they get the chance. Since they were young, the two have competed in gymnastics together. For Dunne's 20th birthday, Lee shared a video of the two of them from their childhood.
3. Dunne designed her own leotards
Before enrolling at LSU, Dunne created her own leotards for contests because she loved to design clothes. Regarding her collaboration with the company Vuori, Dunne stated that "fashion has always been a huge passion" for her. She said, "Before I went to college, my coach and I created our own unique leotards for all of my important events. I adore using fashion to represent who I am, and Vuori instantly captured my heart with the way their outfits looked and felt. That they are my first brand relationship makes me incredibly proud."
4. Queen of brand endorsements
Dunne has gotten involved in projects with brands like Forever 21 and American Eagle due to her robust social media presence and the talents she inculcates. According to reports, Dunne has made over $1 million through these alliances, which is almost unbelievable for a collegiate athlete. Dunne has also agreed to one-time contracts with companies like Grubhub, Too Faced, Madden/EA Sports, and the Nate app, as claimed by the New York Post.
5. She handles her social media accounts by herself
It's safe to say that Dunne’s success surpasses her gymnastics bars, as she has over 4.1 million followers on Instagram and more than 7 million on TikTok, a fanbase that only keeps growing. Dunne’s content includes dance videos, glimpses of behind-the-scenes at her competitions, as well as lifestyle and fashion content. Her online presence has started to converge with the off-screen world, as fans gather at gymnastics meets hoping to see her.
