Swimsuit

11 Glamorous Photos of LSU Star Gymnast Olivia Dunne

The athlete was thrilled about her SI Swimsuit feature, which she saw as an opportunity to inspire others.

Martha Zaytoun

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.

When SI Swimsuit models find out that they’ve made the year’s issue, they’re technically not supposed to tell anyone else. For 2023 model Olivia Dunne, that was a hard ask. “As soon as I got off the phone, I was jumping up and down. I called my mom,” she admitted to the SI Swimsuit team during her photoshoot.

The opportunity that brought her so much excitement was her trip to Puerto Rico with photographer Ben Watts—her first editorial photoshoot ever. The LSU gymnast has been thrust into the limelight over the last couple of years, earning dozens of brand partnerships and a lot of media attention. Such success led her to the doorstep of SI Swimsuit, as well as the cover of the October issue of Sports Illustrated.

For Dunne, her SI Swimsuit feature proved that “you can have the best of both worlds. You can be an athlete, you can be in school, you can do modeling ... and you can be a strong independent woman while doing it all,” she said of her experience. She hoped to inspire those who saw the photos to likewise pursue their passions, no matter how different or incompatible they may seem.

Dunne shared that she aims to inspire the younger generation, a goal that she found was achievable through her SI Swimsuit photoshoot. Below are a few of our favorite pics of the inspiring gymnast from her feature in Puerto Rico.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Lola & Lamar.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by RIELLI.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by ELLISS.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by RIELLI.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by GOD SAVE QUEENS. Shirt by GANNI.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Gucci.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by La Revêche.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Deep Blue Bikini Co.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Gucci.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by La Revêche.

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Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Deep Blue Bikini Co.

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Published
Martha Zaytoun

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a Lifestyle & Trending News writer for SI Swimsuit. Before joining the team, Martha worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Martha loves to watercolor and oil paint, run or water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.