Olivia Dunne Shares Vital Message to Her 11 Million Fans and Online Supporters

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

Olivia Dunne is taking the world by storm, as both the highest-paid female college athlete in the country and a social media superstar. Much to the delight of her fans, the LSU gymnast made her editorial debut in the 2023 SI Swimsuit Issue after posing for photographer Ben Watts in Puerto Rico.

Whether she’s showing off her incredible athletic prowess in the gym on TikTok or sharing lifestyle content on Instagram, where she has more than 11 million combined followers, Livvy’s fanbase goes crazy. We chatted with the 20-year-old athlete during magazine launch events at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, Fla., where the Louisiana resident dedicated a sweet and special message to her fans.

“I love meeting new people, and if you ever see me, feel free to come up and say hi,” Dunne says. “I would love to meet every single one of my supporters, I really would.”

View Olivia Dunne’s full 2023 SI Swimsuit gallery here.

While Dunne counts her family and LSU Tigers teammates as some of her biggest supporters, she’s also incredibly grateful to her online fanbase, and is particularly thankful for the encouragement she receives from fellow young women. Though she doesn’t share all aspects of her life online—a tactic she says she learned from one-time SI Swimsuit model Paige Spiranac—Dunne says her content generally receives positive feedback.

“It’s mostly all love and support,” she shares. “Obviously when you have more eyes on you, there's like mixed emotions. But most of the people that comment and like my stuff all support me, so I really appreciate all of them and what they do for me.”

Take a look at Dunne’s favorite photo from here complete 2023 gallery here.

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