Birthday Girl Olivia Dunne Was Phenomenal Against the Dreamy Backdrop of Portugal

The two-time SI Swimsuit model posed for photographer Ben Watts for her 2024 rookie feature.

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne turns 22 today, and we’re so excited to celebrate the two-time SI Swimsuit model. The elite gymnast, who just began her fifth and final season with the LSU Tigers, made her debut with the franchise in 2023. She posed in Puerto Rico last year, and then reunited with photographer Ben Watts in Portugal for her rookie appearance in the 2024 issue.

The content creator, who is the highest-paid female college athlete in the country, is always inspiring us with her hard work and dedication. She’s absolutely nailing social media stardom, while also keeping up with her training and conditioning and dabbling in the fashion and modeling world. The New Jersey native, who is dating MLB player Paul Skenes, is also an ambassador for Accelerator Active Energy, as well as clothing brands Vuori and Nautica.

“When people look at my Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit] photos, I want them to take away that you can have the best of both worlds—and you can be a strong independent woman while doing it all. You can be an athlete, you can be in school and you can do modeling,” she shared with the brand last year. “As soon as I got off the phone [and found out I would be in the issue], I was jumping up and down. I called my mom, even though you’re not supposed to tell anyone right away, I had to tell my mom. It was surreal. There’s a lot of young girls that look up to me and I feel like a lot of young girls also follow Sports Illustrated. So both of our brands align because we want to inspire the younger generation.”

Dunne is dedicated to giving back to young college athletes, as well as inspiring other female creators to take advantage of the financial opportunities social media can bring. She launched The Livvy Fund in 2023, in an effort to partner female athletes at LSU with brands within the NIL space.

“I really just hope that [The Livvy Fund] is the first of many. I really hope to get as many women student athletes on board as I can. 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,” she explained. “The collectives mostly go to the men’s sports here at LSU and I just want to fight for equal NIL opportunities. It’s very important to help educate other student athletes here at LSU on how to be a savvy businesswoman and how to partner with brands. Over the past two years, I’ve learned so much from these brands, so I just want to help educate others and help give equal opportunities.”

In honor of Dunne’s big day, here’s a look back at some of our favorite images from her 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue rookie feature with Ben Watts in Portugal.

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Ola Vida. Skirt by Bāben. Necklace by VANESSA MOONEY. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Lisa Maree. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Angelys Balek. Necklace by Island Swim. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by AMOR MÍA. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Andi Bagus. Necklaces by Ottoman Hands and Brinker + Eliza. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Ola Vida. Necklace by Classic Silver, certified as Filigrana de Portugal. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Selina Rae Swimwear. Cardigan by Hope Macaulay. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Portugal. Swimsuit by Swim Like A Mermaid. Bolero by Free People. Earrings by Cleopatra’s Bling. / Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated