Gymnast Olivia Dunne Turned Up the Heat in Puerto Rico For Her Flawless SI Swimsuit Debut

Two-time SI Swimsuit star Olivia Dunne takes our breath away each time she poses for the magazine. The LSU gymnast, who just began her fifth and final year with the reigning NCAA gymnastics champions the Tigers, made her debut with the franchise on the beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico in 2023. She returned to the fold this year as a rookie and reunited with photographer Ben Watts in the marvelous, magnificent landscapes of Porto and North, Portugal.

“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,” the 21-year-old shared about what she hopes people will take away from her images. “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.”

The New Jersey native, who is dating MLB player Paul Skenes, is also a social media sensation. With a following of more than 13.4 million across Instagram and TikTok, the model is used to her fair share of criticism and internet trolls. But Dunne is learning to navigate the world of content creation, and she‘s handling the tough moments like a true champ (pun intended).

“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 said. “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.”

Below are seven stunning photos from Dunne‘s SI Swimsuit debut with Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.

Olivia Dunne was photographed by Ben Watts in Puerto Rico. Swimsuit by Burberry. | Ben Watts/Sports Illustrated

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