The world is Olivia Dunne's oyster at the moment. The LSU gymnastics star is the most valuable athlete in college sports at present.
Now, she's a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model, too. Dunne will make her debut in SI's swimsuit issue debut next month, joining luminaries like Sue Bird, Serena Williams, Simone Biles and Alex Morgan as athletes to grace the iconic edition of the famed magazine.
“I just feel like our visions and core values really align, so it just felt like a perfect fit,” Dunne told SI. “The magazine is all about celebrating women and making them feel strong and confident, which I love.”
Livvy Dunne, LSU gymnast, NCAA’s highest-earning female athlete, social media sensation, and our newest SI Swim '23 model is officially joining the pages of this year’s issue! Livvy is an absolute inspiration for other female athletes around the world and we couldn’t be more… pic.twitter.com/rxcaOH2Yp3
— Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) April 27, 2023
Dunne has attracted legions of fans during her time in Baton Rouge, becoming a social media supernova overnight while providing insight into her routine as a Division I athlete. That fame has been accompanied with the Brinks truck; Dunne earned $3.5 million last year, the highest total of all college athletes, per On3.
MORE: How much does Olivia Dunne make? Net worth & NIL deals for LSU star
But Dunne has bigger plans in the coming few years. She's hoping to set up an NIL fund dedicated to raising money for women's sports.
"I want to leave my mark and bring attention to the issue that needs to be talked about,” she said. “[The future collective] can fund NIL deals for female athletes and get people talking about the underlying problem, which is that money needs to go out to support women’s sports in a way that respects the work that was started with Title IX.”
SI's annual specialty issue has been a mirror of the growing acceptance of women in sports over the years. It has also served as a vanguard for change, with former cover stars Tyra Banks, Ashley Graham and Leya Bloom making history between the magazine's covers. It's a reputation that was especially enticing to Dunne, who believes her appearance in the swimsuit issue could go a long way in inspiring young girls to follow their dreams, too.
“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,” she said. “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.”
MORE: Why is Olivia Dunne so popular?
With a social media following in the eight figures, Dunne will have plenty rushing to the stands to get next month's publication. Here's hoping that they'll be able to witness the growing might of women's sports, as well.
“As a female athlete, I hope I can bring attention to how amazing college sports are and how hard college athletics are," Dunne said.