You’ve seen the photos. Honestly, at this point, it’s hard to spend ten minutes on social media without seeing Olivia Dunne—or "Livvy" to her 13 million followers—somewhere on your feed. But when the news dropped that the LSU gymnast was officially an Olivia Dunne Sports Illustrated cover model for the 2025 issue, the internet basically melted. People have a lot of opinions about it. Some think she’s just a "social media sensation" who got lucky with a camera, while others see her as a pioneer for the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) era.
But here is the thing: most people totally miss the sheer amount of work that goes into being both a D1 athlete and a global brand.
The Bermuda Cover and the Secret Injury
When Livvy jetted off to Bermuda for her 2025 shoot with photographer Ben Watts, most people thought it was just another day in paradise. It wasn't. She actually shot those iconic cover photos—the ones where she’s rocking those bold animal prints—while nursing a fractured kneecap.
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Imagine that for a second.
She’s posing on jagged rocks and sinking sand, looking like a total "baddie" (her words, and honestly, fair), while her leg is literally in a state of structural failure. She didn't even know she was shooting for the cover at the time. MJ Day, the SI Swimsuit editor-in-chief, kept that a secret until the big reveal.
Livvy later joked on Instagram that some of those poses "kind of hurt." That's an understatement. It shows a level of "grit" that most influencers just don't have. It’s that athlete brain. You push through the pain because the result matters more than the temporary discomfort.
A Three-Year Evolution
This wasn't a one-hit-wonder situation. Livvy has been a staple of the magazine for three consecutive years:
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- 2023 (Puerto Rico): Her big debut where she was just starting to navigate the massive spotlight.
- 2024 (Portugal): The sophomore year where she leaned into a "cottagecore" aesthetic, shooting in the rain and looking way more comfortable.
- 2025 (Bermuda): The "Cover Girl" era.
Each year, you can see the change. In the 2023 photos, there’s a bit of "deer in the headlights" energy. By 2025, she’s owning the frame. She joined a heavy-hitting cover lineup that included Salma Hayek Pinault and fellow gymnast Jordan Chiles.
Why the SI Partnership Actually Matters for Sports
Some critics argue that an athlete posing in a swimsuit "sets women back." Livvy disagrees. Strongly.
She’s been very vocal about the fact that you can be a serious athlete—a woman who helped LSU win their first-ever NCAA Championship in 2024—and still enjoy fashion and modeling. "You can have the best of both worlds," she said during her debut. It’s about autonomy.
The NIL Powerhouse
Before the NIL rules changed in 2021, a college athlete making $500,000 for a single post would have been an instant scandal. Now? It’s a business model.
- The Livvy Fund: She didn't just pocket the cash. She started a fund to help other LSU female athletes get their own deals.
- The Valuation: With a NIL valuation often hovering around $4 million, she isn't just a "model." She’s a business entity.
- The Legacy: She wants to be remembered for more than just a floor routine.
Honestly, the Olivia Dunne Sports Illustrated collaboration was the catalyst that proved "influencer" and "elite athlete" aren't mutually exclusive terms. She paved the way for players like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese to realize they could be more than just their jersey numbers.
Life After the Leotard
As of 2026, Livvy has officially hung up her LSU leotard. She retired from gymnastics in early 2025 after a "super senior" year that saw her battling through two torn labrums and a torn bicep. Most people would have quit years ago. She didn't.
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Now, she’s focused on grad school—studying technology management—and growing her brand. She’s still with MLB pitcher Paul Skenes, and they’ve basically become the "it" couple of the sports world.
But even with the fame, she still deals with the same stuff every other 23-year-old does. She recently did that "2016 nostalgia" trend on TikTok, posting a photo of herself at 13 with long brown hair and flip-flops, joking about how she looked back then. It's that "authentic" vibe that keeps her followers around. She’s rich, she’s on the cover of magazines, but she’s still kinda awkward and self-deprecating.
What You Can Learn from the "Livvy" Method
If you’re looking at her career as a blueprint, here are the real takeaways:
- Preparation over Luck: She started posting on social media at age 10. When NIL became legal, she already had the audience. She didn't "get lucky"; she was ready.
- Diversify: Don't just do one thing. She’s a gymnast, a student (graduated Summa Cum Laude, by the way), and a model.
- Ignore the Noise: If she had listened to the people telling her to "stick to sports," she’d have missed out on millions of dollars and a history-making cover.
The Olivia Dunne Sports Illustrated story isn't really about a swimsuit. It’s about a girl from New Jersey who realized she could own her own image and make the world pay for the privilege of seeing it.
To really understand the impact, look at the "Livvy Fund" and how it's actually changing the bank accounts of gymnasts who will never be "famous" but deserve to be paid. That’s the real win.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit Your Personal Brand: Whether you’re an athlete or a professional, look at your digital footprint. Are you "ready" if an opportunity like NIL (or a major promotion) hits tomorrow?
- Support The Livvy Fund: If you care about the wage gap in sports, look into how NIL collectives are supporting female athletes at the collegiate level.
- Watch the 2024 LSU Championship Run: To appreciate the "athlete" side of the SI model, go back and watch her bars and floor routines from her senior year. It puts the "model" work into perspective.