Olivia Dunne reveals she’s a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model: ‘Dream come true’
College sports sensation Olivia Dunne has revealed she’s over the moon about her latest career move, declaring it’s something she always wanted to be part of.
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Olivia Dunne is over the moon about her latest career move.
In a post shared Thursday on her Instagram Stories, LSU’s superstar gymnast revealed that she will be featured in the 2023 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, the NY Post reports.
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“Dream come true,” Dunne commented on an Instagram video teasing her photo shoot.
Dunne, 20, ventured to Puerto Rico in January for her debut Sports Illustrated Swimsuit shoot.
“Two days ago I competed, I was at school, and then yesterday I flew here, had my fitting, and here I am shooting,” the New Jersey native said of the experience.
The NCAA’s highest-earning female athlete, Dunne is a bona fide social media sensation with more than 11 million followers across her Instagram and TikTok pages.
MJ Day, the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, said the team “couldn’t be more excited to feature” Dunne in this year’s edition of the iconic publication.
“Livvy is harnessing this new-found 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,” MJ Day, the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, said.
“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.”
The feeling is mutual for Dunne, who has long yearned to be part of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit family.
“The way that the (SI Swimsuit) brand has evolved and has become such a positive spotlight for women to tell their stories and to spread awesome messages of being strong, sexy and beautiful, I knew that was something I wanted to be part of,” Dunne said.
Moments after Thursday’s big reveal, Dunne received a slew of well-wishes from fellow Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models, including Camille Kostek and Christen Harper.
“Welcome to the fam livvy!!!!” Kostek exclaimed on Instagram.
Harper also gushed, “Yesssssss @livvydunne.”
In an introductory article on Sports Illustrated, MJ Day delved into the challenges faced by Dunne as a superstar athlete and social media sensation.
“Usually being a D1 athlete, an all-academic and an industrious entrepreneur is enough to garner respect and accolades,” Day said.
“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 fuelled a lifetime of achievements.”
Dunne has 11 million followers on social media and is the highest-paid female collegiate athlete in America.
This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission.
Originally published as Olivia Dunne reveals she’s a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model: ‘Dream come true’