Gymnast Olivia Dunne's Gorgeous Transformation Through The Years
Whether you know about her because you're one of her millions of TikTok followers, or you've kept track of her illustrious gymnastics career, it's safe to say that Olivia Dunne's success is making waves. Not only is she incredibly accomplished for a college gymnast, but she also has a massive social media following, and plenty of lucrative endorsement deals, too. The LSU gymnast has become known not just for her skills on the mat, but also for how she understands her style essence and exudes effortless girl-next-door glamor. From a little New Jersey girl with big dreams to a polished athlete and social media star, Olivia Dunne has achieved a lot for someone so young.
While Dunne, who often goes by Livvy, may have a knack for making things look easy, whether it is doing a backflip on the beach or becoming the highest-paid female college athlete, the reality is that there are difficulties that come with so much success. From facing criticism that she uses her sex appeal too much on her social media, to dealing with security threats caused by fans, Dunne has had her share of challenges. However, she doesn't seem to let any of those things get her down or take her off of her path. On social media and in interviews, Dunne makes it clear that it isn't just gymnastics that's important to her, but standing strong for what she believes in and showing other girls that they can, too.
2005-2013: An affinity for glitter leads Olivia to a gymnastics career
Olivia Dunne's interest in gymnastics seems to have been interlaced with a passion for fashion right from the start. At the age of three, her cousin's pink sparkly leotard caught her eye. In an interview with Elle, she recalled talking to her mom about it, saying, "I was like, 'Mom, I want that.'" When her mom told her that she'd have to sign up for gymnastics to wear a leotard, Dunne recalls saying, "Sign me up."
However, it wasn't all about fashion for long. Once she started gymnastics lessons, she took to it quickly. In fact, she even seemed to display some natural talent for the sport. "I remember being quite strong for a three-year-old," Dunne said to Elle. She may not have known it at the time, but this was the beginning of both an achievement-studded career and a love of expressing herself through her style.
After starting her gymnastics career before she was even old enough to go to kindergarten, Dunne was quickly blowing past important milestones. On her website, she details some of her early achievements, like jumping from level five to level eight in one year, going to regionals at 9 years old, and reaching level 10 at only 10 years of age. Around this time she was also starting to tap into her love of social media by posting pictures on her Instagram of herself with her friends, and gymnastics idols like McKayla Maroney.
2014-2016: Olivia makes her first big career leap with her elite debut and continues to crush her goals
By the year 2014, Olivia Dunne was still on a roll when it came to crushing career goals. At the age of just 11, she officially became an elite gymnast, which made her the youngest gymnast competing at an elite level at the time. She also had a signature look out on the gym mat, too. Often pictured in, you guessed it, sparkly leotards, Dunne can frequently be seen in pink and purple outfits, often accented with black and white, and pulled together with a coordinating hair bow.
On her Instagram, Dunne shares everything from pictures of herself and her dog to videos of her performing on balance beams and uneven bars. In an interview with Elle, she looks back on this time and what her image and social media meant to her, saying, "I remember, I got my first professional pictures on a podium and I was like, 'OMG these are awesome! I want more of this in my life!'" After she posted them to Instagram, she got a sense of what it could mean to be a public figure, continuing to say, "I was 10 or 11, and there were younger girls looking up to me and people starting to recognize me. To be someone else's role model meant the world to me."
2017: Olivia trains at the Karolyi Ranch
From the ages of 10 to 16, Olivia Dunne trained at the Karolyi Ranch, which would later go down in infamy. However, from the carefree pictures she posts on her Instagram, you would never know that she was spending so much time in a stressful and even abusive environment. Along with gym videos, Dunne also posts pictures of herself smiling and rocking one of the types of dresses that every woman should own, a bodycon LBD. By now, she's also experimenting with selfies and styling her hair in its signature sleek, long style, along with wearing more visible makeup.
While everything might have looked idyllic on Instagram, the were other, less pleasant things happening in the gymnastics world. Not only was Dr. Larry Nassar, who would later be sentenced to prison for sexual assault charges, employed at the Karolyi Ranch, but the owners and gymnastics coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi were also alleged to be perpetrating mental and physical abuse there as well. The unfortunate reality for many gymnasts was that training at the Ranch seemed necessary if they wanted to advance their careers. In an interview with Elle, Dunne says of her time at the Karolyi Ranch, "It was honestly abusive there, but that was the only way."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
2018: Superstar Olivia makes her senior elite debut
In 2018, Olivia Dunne achieved new heights in her career and made her senior debut in Jesolo, Italy, where she performed routines on the floor, bars, and beam. Even though this was her first time performing as a senior elite, it was her second time competing internationally. Her appreciation of glitter was on full display with her leotard choices. This was also the year where she returned to compete in the USA National Championships for the fourth year in a row.
Dunne's use of social media grew and developed in 2018, as well. Increasingly, Dunne posted pictures in new and interesting angles that highlight her ever-evolving style. At this point, her casual style has a laid-back, chic, and very American quality and frequently features clothing like short shorts, distressed jeans, denim jackets for the summer, and thigh-high boots for fall and winter. Diamond studs, high ponytails, and subtle makeup all come together to create a polished but relaxed style that makes Dunne truly shine. Along with displaying her style, she posts pictures in a wider range of settings, like cozy winter photos with a pom-pom-topped beanie and plenty of warm summer swimsuit photos, too.
2019: An injury slows Olivia down but doesn't stop her from chasing her goals
While Olivia Dunne always displayed ambition when it came to her gymnastics career, she faced a significant setback in 2019. An ankle injury prevented her from competing for most of the year and may have changed the course her career took. Up until this point, going to the Olympics had been a goal. However, having an injury meant that Dunne was at a crossroads. She could either push through and keep training at an elite level despite her injury, or she would simply have to put some goals to the side to allow herself to heal. Having some downtime seems to have made Dunne think about her career in different terms, and instead of training for the Olympics, she opted to sign a letter of intent with Louisiana State University instead.
Although Dunne's career may have cooled during this time, her use of social media only heats up. Her styles become more trendy and daring, like when she shows off one of the coolest ways to wear red in a cute birthday post or posts her midriff-baring mermaid Halloween costume. Often in her staples of short shorts or cute crop tops, Dunne shows off her summer style frequently and often completes looks by letting her beachy blonde locks flow or by tossing them up in a mussed high pony.
2020: Olivia comes into her own on social media
In 2020, Olivia Dunne's swim looks become particularly adventurous, featuring a wider range of prints — like leopard — and colors (think lime greens and pastel pinks). Some of her looks are notably more comfy, too, as she posts more pictures in athleisure and sweats. Dunne also still wears plenty of leotards, except now they feature LSU's colors. She also makes a subtle but noticeable change to her hair, shifting away from dirty blonde to a lighter, brighter, blond hue. More than ever, her styles and poses exude confidence and a sense of ease with her medium.
2020 was a year of boredom for many, so it's no coincidence that 2020 was the year Dunne started putting serious effort into her TikTok account, which has since taken off. As of 2024, she's amassed nearly 8 million followers. Much like her Instagram, her earlier posts contain lots of videos of her in the gym. However, her TikTok often features her doing backflips on the beach, or "beachnastics", as well as things like events she attends, clips of her with her teammates, and her take on TikTok trends. While starting a new social media page may not seem like a big career move, using her TikTok to share content and connect with her fan base helped set her up for future success, as having such a large and engaged following would make her a great candidate for endorsement deals.
2021: Changing laws mean new career moves for Olivia
In 2021, big changes came to Olivia Dunne's career. This was the year that the NCAA decided to lift the ban on college students profiting off of their image, which for Dunne meant an influx of endorsement deals, one of the earliest ones being the athletic clothing brand Vuori. Dunne's love of social media may have been a great way to share content and connect with her fans, but now having such a significant following meant her social media had tons of money-making potential. After the NCAA agreed to this new Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policy, Dunne knew things would be different. While talking to People, she said, "That's the moment my life changed." As of 2021, Dunne was the highest-paid NCAA female athlete, making seven figures a year.
Not only did this change mean that college athletes in general could generate more income, but it had special implications for female athletes, in Dunne's view. While talking to People she notes the differences between the opportunities that male and female athletes face, saying, "There's so many professional leagues for men's sports after college, but there's such a small timeframe for women to capitalize."
2022: Olivia isn't just an athlete, she's an influencer, and a college student, too
While gymnastics was a huge part of Olivia Dunne's life, there were other things she had to juggle by the year 2022, too. When she wasn't training for her gymnastics team at LSU, creating content for social media and studying kept her busy, to the point that it seems to have started impacting her mental health. In an interview with People, she broaches the subject saying, "The past few years, juggling NIL or ever since my sophomore year, since the summer of 2021, I've definitely had a hard time finding balance. That's really important because if you don't have balance, that can affect your mental health. I finally feel like I got a grasp on it this year."
Being incredibly busy didn't stop Dunne from taking new strides in her style, though. From her Instagram, it can clearly be seen that she's branching out and taking risks. Along with her reliable basics like a white top and a pair of shorts, Dunne can also be seen in flirty tennis skirts and matching athleisure sets. When it comes to her swimsuit photos, she's moving away from cute bikinis to strappy, studded pink swimsuits. When she starts attending big events, she also takes her look to new, more glamorous heights like when she wears a low-backed rhinestone-studded dress to the 2022 VMAs, or a white halter-neck gown dripping with jewels in the back to the 2022 ESPYs.
2023: A huge social media following means navigating security issues, cyber bullying and addressing criticism
In the midst of her success, Olivia Dunne's faced some struggles, and pushback too. From security issues due to overzealous fans, cyberbullying, and even criticism of the way that she uses social media, Dunne's had plenty on her plate. In January of 2023, a group of male fans caused a stir by chanting for her outside the University of Utah, where the LSU gymnastics team was competing, which led to the team traveling with a security guard.
Overexcited fans aren't the only thing Dunne has dealt with. Social media has proved to come with its own set of difficulties. With such a huge following and so many viral videos, it's no surprise that cyberbullies have found their way into her comment section. To Sports Illustrated, Dunne says, "People always comment stuff that they would never say to your face, so part of it is just having developed tough skin. Social media is hard. That's something that Paige Spiranac helped me with, just keeping certain parts of your life private. Making sure not to post things that, you know, maybe you don't want people's feedback on."
Dunne combats other kinds of criticism, too. "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 tells the outlet. But as a role model for other girls in and outside of gymnastics, she goes on to add, "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."
2024-Present: Olivia is a true trailblazer in women's athletics
Despite having some critics, Olivia Dunne is determined to make a difference. She's snagged endorsement deals with Vuori, Forever 21, and American Eagle just to name a few. And now in her early 20s, it's important to Dunne to help other female college athletes and show them how they can follow in her path. In 2023 she partnered with Bayou Traditions to launch The Livvy Fund so she could help other female LSU athletes secure their own endorsement deals. For Dunne, equality is a motivator for the project, telling Sports Illustrated, "I want to continue to elevate women's sports as a whole because they really deserve the same publicity as the men's. We do equal work, we put in equal time in our facilities every day and in school, so I feel like it would be right for this to be equal."
Now more than ever it's apparent that she isn't just passionate about gymnastics, or fashion, but also about being a role model for others. While talking to Sports Illustrated, she makes it clear that she hopes others will find her message inspiring, saying, "I want to show young girls that you can have it all, and you don't need to choose between whatever it is you're passionate about. You can be passionate about music, art. You don't need to pick and choose. You can do it all and be successful. I think you need to set your own expectations for success and dream big."