“Such a Dream of Mine” – LSU’s Olivia Dunne Reminisces Her Viral Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Shooting
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photo session for Olivia Dunne was a bit of a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it event.
LSU’s star gymnast discussed her career-high point at the On3 NIL Elite Series this week in Nashville. She described the quick turnaround of the shoot, which happened in January right as her season was starting.
“We went to Puerto Rico, it was right when my gymnastics season started, and they usually take six days to shoot it, and I obviously can’t take six days off from the beginning of my season,” Dunne said
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She flew to the picturesque location for the shoot as soon as she received the go-ahead from her coach — a total of one day off.
“I prayed for good weather and then I shot and I came back to school,” Dunne said.
The 2023 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit made the gymnast’s debut; it was published last month.
For the spread, which featured the NCAA’s highest-paid female athlete modeling a variety of bikinis from companies like Sommer Swim, Deep Blue Bikini Co., Gucci, and more, Dunne was photographed by renowned photographer Ben Watts.
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And so it begins…so grateful💜 @LSU @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/peMl3ypcon
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) July 1, 2021
Olivia Dunne told the venerable magazine, “Just getting the opportunity to be in SI Swimsuit was such a dream of mine and when it happened, I actually could not believe it”
Dunne, a rising senior, has amassed more than 11 million followers across her TikTok and Instagram accounts.
Following the NCAA’s regulation change in 2021 allowing student-athletes to profit off of their name, image, and likeness, the New Jersey native also has a NIL worth of $3.4 million, according to On3.
officially a tiger!💜💛 Can’t believe I am signed to my dream school! @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/c88QGO80tC
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) November 13, 2019
Here’s a skill I had planned to debut at nationals! It was submitted and given an “E” value. Here’s what would have been the “Dunne” 🙁 pic.twitter.com/GgkdMdKTEv
— Olivia Dunne (@livvydunne) April 6, 2020
Despite Dunne’s enormous success in the NIL industry, her LSU classmates hardly talk about it.
“When I’m in the gym, I never talk about NIL with my teammates, or at all. We talk about normal college things. When we’re in the locker room, it’s normal locker room talk,” Dunne remarked, according to an earlier Outkick story.
“It’s never about brand deals. It’s never about NIL.”
Having said that, if her coworkers seek her opinion on potential chances, she is open to more extensive discussions.
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