The widespread usage of social media and the emergence of incredibly popular apps like TikTok and Instagram have changed the world. People that the world wouldn’t otherwise know about have become famous, while other highly-talented individuals have only seen their fame grow. When it comes to Olivia Dunne, her talent and social media popularity has propelled her to unimaginable heights — and all before her 20th birthday.
Image Source: LSU Athletics
An Athletic Family
A native of Hillsdale, New Jersey, Olivia — known to her friends as Livvy — grew up in an athletic family. Her father, David, played college football at Rutgers University. Her sister was a star player and captain of her high school softball team. As for Livvy, she discovered her passion for gymnastics at an early age.
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Welcome to Gymnastics
Dunne’s gymnastics career started when she was just three years old. In her own words, she joined because “I wanted a sparkly pink leotard.” While Dunne may have initially been drawn to the sparkly outfit, it wouldn’t be long before her talent began to shine.
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A True Prodigy
By the time she was five years old, Dunne’s skill and potential was easy to see. Her gym, ENA Paramus, invited Livvy to try out for the pre-team. Despite being so young, Livvy quickly realized that she loved competing and was very passionate about gymnastics. Soon, Dunne would begin competing against girls from all around the state of New Jersey.
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Leveling Up
As her star began to rise, Livvy entered bigger competitions throughout New Jersey. In gymnastics, there are different levels — as your skills advance, you begin moving up the levels. Levels 1-3 are used to prepare young gymnasts for competition. Once you reach Level 4, you can officially begin to compete. Was Livvy ready to compete at a high level? Yes, yes she was.
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Reaching the Top
Not only did Dunne win the Level 4 State Championships, but she beat the state’s all-around record in the process. A budding star in the sport, Dunne quickly advanced through Levels 5, 6, and 7 within a year. As a nine-year-old, Livvy broke through to Level 9. A few years later, she was ready to compete nationally. In 2014, Livvy became the youngest gymnast in the U.S. to qualify as a Jr. International Elite. A year later, she finished 8th in the all-around competition at the American Classic and qualified for the 2015 P&G National Championships.
However, it was at the 2016 P&G National Championships that Dunne became a star. While gifted in nearly every event, Dunne shined during the beam and floor events — winning a medal in each competition. Her success led to her attending National Team camps, and ultimately her selection to the USA National Team.
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A Whirlwind
In 2017, Dunne represented the United States at the Jesolo Trophy competition in Italy. As a part of the USA junior team, Dunne won the gold medal in the all-around competition. Just a few months later, Dunne accepted a full athletic scholarship to LSU. Despite being a few years away from college, Dunne’s talent was evident to coaches at LSU — one of the best programs in the nation. However, would Livvy continue to excel before heading off to college?
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Twitter
A Medal Winner
While Dunne had her future college plans figured out, she still wanted to become the best gymnast she could be. During her 2017 elite season, Dunne won three medals at the US Classic and two more at the P&G Championships — winning both floor and beam. The following year, Dunne made her senior national team debut and went on to compete in Italy. While her success in gymnastics continued, Livvy also began to draw attention outside of the sport…
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Going Viral
Before Dunne could even start her collegiate journey at LSU, her popularity exploded on social media. Growing up at a time when apps like Instagram and TikTok became worldwide sensations, Livvy saw the potential benefit in elevating her platform through social media. In an interview with The New York Post, the viral sensation had this to say about her dedication:
“I don’t feel too much pressure, because doing social media is always something that I’ve loved, and I’ve always taken it pretty seriously,” Dunne, who specializes in the uneven bars, told The Post. “At times, I can get overwhelmed with how busy things are, but I don’t feel pressure on a day-to-day basis.”
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Popularity Boom
Livvy’s social media presence quickly grew throughout high school. The star gymnast gained hundreds of thousands of followers as a teenager — all before she reached LSU. When the COVID-19 pandemic started at the beginning of 2020, Livvy (and other creators) saw their following increase significantly. For the gymnast, she quickly discovered a formula for sustainable success.
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Flips With a View
Dunne began posting videos on TikTok and Instagram that captured the attention of millions. Being quarantined in Florida, the soon-to-be college student told The Post that she took advantage of her surroundings:
“I just started making content at the beach, doing flips and filming it. My videos started to get on the ‘for you’ page [on Instagram] a lot more, so more people saw them … and it took off.”
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
‘Beach-nastics’
Livvy’s acrobatic videos exploded across social media platforms. Her incredible gymnastic abilities earned her a ton of fans, and her innate beauty captured the attention of many more. Early on, some of Livvy’s ‘beach-nastics’ posts on TikTok were viewed upwards of 500,000 times. However, that number is small compared to more recent posts…
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Worldwide Phenomenon
A few months into Dunne’s social media rise, her videos consistently cracked one million views. Some of her trademark ‘beach-nastsics’ videos have now been viewed more than 10 million times. As Dunne prepared for her first year at LSU, it was clear that her experience would be different than most college students her age. After all, millions of people already knew who she was before she stepped on campus…
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
A Leading Force
To say Dunne is popular on social media would be an understatement. As of October 2021, the LSU sophomore is the most-followed collegiate athlete across all platforms. On TikTok, Dunne has 4.5 million followers and her videos have generated over 187 million ‘likes’. On Instagram, the gymnast has 1.3 million followers. In addition to having millions of fans and competing at a high level in gymnastics, Dunne is becoming a trailblazer in another huge area…
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
End of an Era
For decades, collegiate athletes have been unable to profit off their name, image, or likeness. While universities and other companies benefitted from the success of players/teams, the student-athletes were unable to capitalize on their own success. Any form of compensation was against the NCAA rules…until now…
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The Gamechanger
In July of 2021, the NCAA put an end to its rule prohibiting student-athletes from profiting from their Name, Image and Likeness (NIL). Now, people like Dunne are allowed to partner with companies and create brand deals for themselves. Instead of being held back while in college, athletes are able to earn money while still being able to compete. Early on, Livvy is at the forefront of the new NIL discussion.
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Seizing the Moment
With millions of followers across all social media platforms, Dunne will only benefit from the new rule change. As a role model to many young people and athletes, it is easy to see why companies would want to partner with the young star. And as Dunne explained to The Post, the new rule will change the lives of many present and future athletes:
“The NIL rule change has always been a dream of mine, and I didn’t know if it was actually ever going to happen,” Dunne said. “I think it’s great for female student athletes in gymnastics like myself because there is really no professional league after college, so we can capitalize on our opportunities right now. It’s such a special thing. It’s like I’m part of history, all of us student athletes are.”
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Big News in the Big Apple
When the NCAA’s decision was publicly announced, Dunne found herself in New York City. In a show of support of its student-athletes, LSU created a billboard in Times Square that acknowledged some of the school’s top athletes — from Dunne to All-American cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Like Stingley Jr., Livvy would soon have a big announcement of her own…
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Twitter
Making Big Moves
When news of the new NIL rule dropped, many people pegged Dunne to be one of the biggest benefactors. With an immense following, All-American talent and model looks to match, it was only a matter of time before companies lined up to work with the star. In August, Dunne signed with WME Sports. A month later, the star gymnast announced her first exclusive brand deal…
Image Source: LSU Athletics
The Breakthrough
Dunne signed an exclusive deal with activewear brand Vuori. In an interview with Forbes shortly after announcing the partnership, Dunne explained why she chose to join Vuori:
“This is my first exclusive brand deal I’ve ever done, so I was trying to find a brand to work with that is authentic to me and that I would want to introduce to my audience to because they trust me.” Dunne continued, “We have some of the same core values, and I think it’s so great how they care about the environment. They are also committed to happiness, and that’s really important to me.”
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
Hop on Board…
While her exclusive deal with Vuori was her first big announcement, Dunne had a few more partnerships in the works. The All-American gymnast has also partnered with PlantFuel, American Eagle, and Bartleby. Additionally, Dunne is capable of making one-off deals with brands if she so chooses. When it comes to her deal with Vuori, Dunne is said to be making quite a bit of money…
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Social Media Pays Off
According to a source with knowledge of the Vuori deal, Dunne will be making “mid six-figures”. Over the next two years, the social media star will be involved in marketing campaigns, promotional shoots, in-person events, and social media takeovers. Between her deal with Vuori and all of her other announced partnerships, experts estimate Dunne may make $1 million or more per year. However, the 19-year-old is determined to maintain her values…
Image Source: Olivia Dunne/Instagram
A Role Model
While Livvy recognizes that her current path and collegiate experience is unique, she explained to Forbes that she isn’t allowing herself to get caught up in the moment — money isn’t everything to the young influencer:
“Nothing has changed at all with my social media stuff. I take it very seriously, and I keep it clean. And mostly I just want to be a role model to young girls. I want to set a good example, and I want to send out a message that we’re more than just our sport. That’s very important to me.”
Image Source: LSU Athletics
Living a Fun Life
Even as her social media presence continues to grow, Dunne is focused on her gymnastics career at LSU. Balancing her gymnastic responsibilities, life as a college student, and professional opportunities is no small task — but Dunne is finding a way to make it work. As a freshman in 2020, Dunne competed on the uneven bars at the SEC Championships and finished in fifth place. She once again competed on the uneven bars during the semifinals at the NCAA Championship, and finished in ninth place with a score of 9.90.
Image Source: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Olivia ‘Livvy’ Dunne
At 19 years old, Olivia “Livvy” Dunne is paving the way for many future athletes. The young woman has set a great example for not only athletes, but also kids who are following her every move on social media. Only a sophomore in college, Livvy has shown what hard work, commitment, and sincerity can do for a person’s life. As Dunne continues to succeed in her gymnastics career and paves the way for a new generation of athletes, we will all be cheering her on.
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