Olivia Dunne Posed for Her SI Swimsuit Debut Two Years Ago Today—And We’re Still Obsessed With These Photos

The two-time SI Swimsuit model all but broke the internet with her debut shoot.

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

Gymnast and content creator Olivia Dunne is a powerhouse in every sense of the word. The 22-year-old New Jersey native, who joined TikTok in 2020 and has since become the most-followed college athlete on social media, knows how to garner attention. Whether she’s competing with the LSU Tigers women’s gymnastics team—which she helped reach its first NCAA Championship title in 2024—or taking part in the latest TikTok trend, fans are constantly living for her every share. In 2023, Dunne shocked the world with her debut on the pages of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, which was truly an unforgettable moment for the brand.

Traveling to the beautiful beaches of Puerto Rico, Dunne flaunted her toned and tanned figure while rocking both sporty and feminine bikinis and two-pieces for Ben Watts’s lens. Featured as an athlete that year, her photos are definitely some of our favorites of 2023. And today is a special day, Dunne reminded us on social media, as it marks two years since she was on set with the brand for the very first time.

Taking to her Instagram story, the internet personality shared throwbacks from the day, writing, “2 yrs ago today at my first @si_swimsuit shoot [pouting emoji].” So, there’s absolutely no time like the present to celebrate Dunne’s debut with SI Swimsuit in honor of the two-year anniversary. She’s made the magazine more vibrant and memorable with her undeniable beauty—inside and out.

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

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

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

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

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

While on set, the celeb, who is the highest-paid female college athlete, shared what she wanted readers to get out of her debut feature. “When people look at my Sports Illustrated 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,” she said. “You can be an athlete, you can be in school and you can do modeling.”

Dunne, who has a combined 13.3 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, returned to the brand in 2024, where she was featured as a rookie. Reuniting with Watts, she posed in Portugal for another fabulous spread of images. It’s hard to pick which is our favorite, but her cottagecore-inspired shoot last year was certainly another one for the books.

When reflecting on the day her second feature photos came out, Dunne told the brand she was “so excited,” adding, “I sent them to my mom, my boyfriend, my sister, my teammates. They were better than I could have ever imagined.”