Olivia Dunne: What's the one thing TikTok star avoids sharing with her LSU teammates?

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: Olivia Dunne, born and raised in New Jersey, has accomplished feats most individuals can only dream of – becoming the NCAA's highest-earning female athlete at the age of 20. Her gymnastics career gained momentum during the Covid-19 pandemic, as her social media following rapidly increased.

With a NIL valuation of $3.4 million, Dunne's professional success speaks for itself. However, despite her accomplishments, the young athlete remains grounded and committed to leading a typical college lifestyle. Her interests lie in talking about regular college activities with her LSU gymnastics teammates rather than discussing business deals.

'It’s never about brand deals. It’s never about NIL'

Olivia Dunne's dedication to leading a normal college life, despite her accomplishments, is admirable. Due to her popularity on social media, Dunne, a native of New Jersey, has landed lucrative sponsorship deals with organizations like American Eagle and Vuori. Dunne prefers to have longer conversations outside of the gym when teammates come to her for advice on NIL prospects.

Dunne finds that her biggest sense of normalcy comes through her athletics. The focus is only on her craft. When I’m in the gym, I never talk about NIL with my teammates, or at all. We talk about normal college things. When we’re in the locker room, it’s normal locker room talk. It’s never about brand deals. It’s never about NIL.

But if a teammate approaches Dunne for NIL advice, the TikTok sensation says she prefers having a longer conversation. “Sometimes a teammate or two will come up and ask me for advice about it… but even then, we talk about it more in-depth later on. I hope that I can [elevate everyone around me] in all aspects of my life, not just NIL— as a teammate, as a friend, and as a sister,” Dunne said.

She made it clear that she was dedicated to improving those around her in all spheres of life, not just NIL, such as as a teammate, friend, and sister.

Olivia Dunne's stellar LSU junior year propelled her to gymnastics

Dunne, who just finished her junior year at LSU, was a key contributor to the Lady Tigers' fourth-place showing in the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in April. She recently made her eagerly awaited debut in the 2023 issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in addition to her athletic accomplishments.

With the offseason in full swing, the talented gymnast is still in the game, constantly pushing herself to become even better. Despite being an elite athlete, Dunne still takes the time to engage with her fans on various social media platforms. Recently, Dunne took to TikTok to share an exciting video of herself practicing backflips at the beach.

As she balances her gymnastics stardom with her college commitments, Dunne remains a remarkable athlete and an inspiration to many aspiring gymnasts. It's clear that even when she's not competing, Dunne still manages to captivate her audience with her incredible talents.