SI Swimsuit Introduces Newest Model Olivia Dunne
Olivia Dunne is Sports Illustrated Swimsuits' latest model!
The 20-year-old LSU Gymnast is the NCAA's highest-earning female athlete. She has garnered nearly 11 million followers across her TikTok and Instagram pages, where she shares snippets of her everyday life, and has created a slew of loyal admirers across the board.
Dunne is set to make her SI Swimsuit debut next month with the release of the annual edition.
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“Usually being a D1 athlete, an all-academic and an industrious entrepreneur is enough to garner respect and accolades,” MJ Day, SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief, said in a statement. “But when you are Livvy Dunne and you also mix in being arrestingly beautiful, you unfortunately garner the ire and resentment of a certain niche population. The refusal of some to appreciate Livvy for being more than just a pretty blonde is missing the point. The backlash she received for ‘leveraging’ her sexuality for endorsement dollars after the NIL restrictions were lifted is incorrect. We are here to celebrate this incredible young woman and encourage the world to respect and applaud Livvy and her fellow athletes for owning the blood, sweat and tears that have fueled a lifetime of achievements.”
Day continued, “Livvy is harnessing this newfound power and turning it into a long-term, sustainable brand, growing the sport of collegiate gymnastics and setting an example for athletes of the future of what they are also capable of accomplishing outside of the competitive arena. In a world where women are constantly being forced to pick a lane, Livvy is in all of them, winning. We couldn’t be more excited to feature her on the pages of our 2023 issue.”
In January, Dunne traveled to Puerto Rico, where she had her first shoot with photographer Ben Watts. She opened up to the magazine about how she stays positive while spreading her message of success.
“There’s always people who want to downplay your success and say it’s just because of how you look or it’s just luck,” she noted. “I don’t give that negativity too much attention because it doesn’t deserve it. If I want girls to hear my message, I need to focus on what I want to say and not waste my time getting defensive about people who don’t take the time to understand what I do.”
Next: 8 Times Gymnast Olivia Dunne Proved She Was Ready to Be a SI Swim Model