Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit issue rookie, a spot in the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list, a feature on Elle magazine, 4.5million Instagram and 7.8m TikTok followers… the list goes on. To say Olivia Dunne has had a successful year would be a massive understatement.

At 21 years old, Dunne, also known by her nickname ‘Livvy’, has become one of the faces of college athletics’ NIL age. The LSU gymnastics star used her social media presence to open incredible opportunities for herself and become the highest-paid female athlete in the NCAA.

According to On3’s NIL tracker, Dunne’s estimated annual earnings from her name, image and likeness is roughly $3.5m. Aside from Sports Illustrated, Dunne also worked with ESPN, Body Armor, American Eagle Outfitters and Motorola in 2023.

‘I never thought I would be in this position,’ Dunne said in a June 29 episode of the ‘Full Send’ podcast. ‘I started growing my social media just because I like to do it.

‘Ever since I was ten years old, I mean I amassed abound 100 thousand followers on Instagram just through posting gymnastics.’

LSU gymnastics star and social media sensation Olivia Dunne has had a very successful 2023

Dune appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue after being named SI swimsuit rookie

Dunne was featured on her first appearance on Elle Magazine in July

In a feature on Elle magazine, Dunne elaborated on her early exposure to social media. Dunne’s mother, Kat, revealed how she urged Livvy to be productive on social media rather than just scrolling.

‘If you’re going to have your phone in your hand, don’t just scroll – make content,’ Kat told the young Olivia.

11 years of combining her love for both activities eventually led into an explosion of popularity and accolades as 2023 saw Dunne regularly starring in headlines.

The year was off to a hot start for Livvy when a large group of fans showed up to LSU’s first meet of the season in Utah on January 6.

However, while the support was incredible, the fans’ rowdy behavior towards the team and media members led LSU to take action to protect their star athlete. The university was forced to hire security for Dunne at every meet moving forward.

In Baton Rouge, Dunne claims that the Tigers community see her for the fellow student that she is. However, she admitted that she began taking all of her classes online this year, perhaps to allow her to focus on her academic tasks.

‘I don’t go to class, I do it all online,’ Dunne shared. ‘I feel like at LSU, the people always see me around anyway so nobody’s like starstruck when they see me, it’s kinda like ‘Oh there’s Liv.’

‘I’ve always had to take pictures with people and stuff, but I don’t really mind when I’m out. It is what it is at this point. I like meeting new people. Taking pictures is part of the job.’

Dunne’s popularity has brought an array of fans to show their support at LSU’s meets

In the NIL age of college athletics, Dunne has become the highest-paid female NCAA athlete

The LSU star gymnast closes 2023 with 4.5 million Instagram and 7.8m TikTok followers

Fast forward to November, Dunne appeared on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue for the second time with her rookie photoshoot in Portugal. Her first shoot for SI Swimsuit happened in October in Puerto Rico shortly after she starred on a cover with LSU basketball star Angel Reese.

Dunne reflected on the milestone and spoke about how difficult it was to keep the incredible opportunity under wraps.

‘It’s only gotten crazier with the Sports Illustrated too, that was so exciting,’ Dunne said. ‘I literally had practice later that day and I could not tell anyone for the longest time. That was definitely one of the hardest secrets I had to keep.’

Her new-found support has clearly fueled Dunne to perform better as an athlete. After finishing fifth in the SEC on the uneven bars in 2022, Dunne took Bronze in the conference this year.

Dunne shared her excitement to return to competing on December 16 after participating in an exhibition on LSU’s grounds. The Tigers will host their first meet on January 5 at home against Ohio State.

While undoubtedly in the running for the most popular, Dunne does not want to claim the title of ‘best athlete’ from LSU’s dynasty of alums. However, Livvy hopes that in the age of social media, her platform can help bring eyes to the school she represents.

‘There’s obviously amazing athletes that were there before me,’ Dunne said. ‘I mean Joe (Burrow), the Women’s basketball team is insane right now. Social media wise, I hope we have more eyes on LSU, it’s a sick school.’

Dunne had two photoshoots for SI Swimsuit, one in Puerto Rico and another in Portugal

Dunne finished the 2023 season by capturing a bronze medal in the SEC championship

Dunne, who specializes on uneven bars, finished fifth in the SEC in 2022 and second in 2021

With an ever-growing fanbase and after a milestone year, Dunne does not see her success outside athletics as a hindrance to pursuing the sport that got her here in the first place.

According to Dunne, as they do in gymnastics, finding your balance is the key.

‘It’s such a weird thought to just give up your sport that you’ve been doing since you’re three,’ she reflected. ‘I always loved growing the social media and I’ve always done gymnastics as well. I feel like I can balance it.’

Gymnastics, social media and magazine covers were not the only places where Dunne was winning this year. In August, Dunne confirmed her relationship with LSU alum and MLB prospect Paul Skenes.

The No 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft signed a record $9.2 million deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates in July.

In August, Dunne and MLB prospect Paul Skenes shared their relationship on social media

Dunne and Skenes recently went on a trip to New York City before Dunne’s last college season

Having kept their relationship a secret in the beginning, Dunne told PEOPLE how it served as an important reminder to keep some aspects of her life private.

‘I’ve definitely learned over the past few years that, this past year mostly, that keeping certain things private is OK,’ Dunne said, per PEOPLE. ‘It’s funny because there’s speculations at first about it, but I guess people caught onto us having pictures and videos together out in public, so that’s kind of how the news broke. But we try to keep things private.’

The pair recently embarked on a romantic getaway to New York City before Dunne heads into her final season and semester in college.

With millions of dollars and followers, Dunne is yet to reveal her plans after graduating from LSU.

However, with all the success she has created for herself, best believe we have not seen the last of Livvy yet.