Olivia Dunne Named a “Sports Illustrated” Swimsuit Rookie for Second Year: ‘It Feels Unreal’
The NCAA's highest-paid athlete shares her perspective on helping women succeed through The Livvy Fund in the forthcoming issue
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Olivia Dunne is back at it — again!
Less than a year after making her debut in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, the LSU gymnast and social media star has been named as a “rookie” again for the 2024 SI Swimsuit 60th Anniversary Issue.
“Coming back for Year 2, I mean, last year I said it was a dream come true, and nothing’s changed,” Dunne, 21, said in an SI Instagram post. “It’s still a dream come true. I can’t believe I can call myself a rookie. It feels unreal.”
In the post, SI shared footage from the athlete’s October photo shoot in Porto, Portugal, where Dunne posed in an array of bikinis against a beautiful lakeside backdrop.
The model and influencer’s first foray earlier this year in the magazine made her one of the first college athletes to be featured in the coveted issue.
"Women's sports is something that I want to support and leave my legacy on," Dunne said at the time. "I want to show other athletes that you can have it all — especially women.”
For Dunne — the highest paid NCAA female athlete — her most recent appearance in the issue was also an opportunity to discuss her success in the NIL space.
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In July, she announced the launch of The Livvy Fund, which provides opportunities exclusively to female athletes at LSU,” a news release from the university said at the time.
“I’m so excited to build on the momentum of women in sports by utilizing the brand relationships I’ve built to help empower LSU female student-athletes with the knowledge and assistance to succeed in the NIL space,” Dunne told PEOPLE. “I’ve been so blessed these past couple years with the opportunities I’ve been given, and I can’t wait to be able to share my knowledge with others and support them in their NIL journeys.”
Related: Olivia Dunne Unveils New Initiative to Share Her 'Knowledge' and Help Female Athletes with NIL Deals
Dunne is currently a senior at LSU where she now travels with a security guard due to increased attention.
She told PEOPLE earlier this month that she's grateful for her time in college, and for learning how to navigate her fame.
"Last year was probably one of the most rewarding and most difficult years of my life," she said. "Just having so many eyes on me was such a new feeling, but it was pretty cool at the same time.”
Now navigating her romantic relationship with baseball player Paul Skenes in the public eye, Dunne added she's "still learning" how to balance her private life with her digital one.
"I've definitely learned over the past few years that, this past year mostly, that keeping certain things private is okay," the LSU gymnast shared.
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