In the collegiate circuit of the USA, few stars enjoy popularity at the same level as Olivia Dunne. The LSU gymnast is one of the most renowned athletes in the country and also has a massive online fan following. Together with her MLB star boyfriend Paul Skenes, the couple is an example of oomph. But despite both having studied at Baton Rouge, their paths could have gone uncrossed. However, fate had different plans.

The reigning NCAA gymnastics champ and the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher went public with their relationship in June last year. But they had made each other’s acquaintance even before that. Even though they enjoy celebrity status in the country right now, their love story continues to remain one for the ages.

Olivia Dunne and Paul Skenes’ relationship was pre-ordained

In an article from December 2023, the fairytale story of how Skenes and Dunne met was revealed. The article highlights that their encounter was made easy by the fact that both of the athletes’ respective roommates were dating already. Skenes’ friend Garrett Edwards was going out with Dunne’s roommate, Elena Arenas, who was also part of the LSU Tigers’ gymnastics roster. It was through Arenas and Edwards that Skenes met Dunne, who possibly got to meet when Livvy went to watch a baseball game.

Skenes said that their meeting was something like “[j]ust a small world type of thing,” the article notes. What brought them together was the mutual understanding of what the life of a professional athlete is like. Moreover, with the constant attention both Dunne and Paul are in, they kept their initial days of dating away from the public eye.

And now, after more than a year of announcing their relationship, Livvy is waiting to start her gymnastics season with the hope of defending the national title successfully in her final collegiate year. On the other hand, just days ago, Skenes bagged the prestigious Rookie Of The Year, and the gymnastics sensation was over the moon about it. While this would suggest that both these athletes push each other to become better, Livvy is still just as smitten by her beau.

They’ve come a long way since those initial uncertain days

In September, talking on Flau’jae Johnson’s ‘Best of Both Worlds’ podcast, Dunne spoke almost along similar lines as Skenes about how fate brought them to each other. Recalling how Paul’s tall features were the first thing she noticed, Livvy said, “I would kind of see him around and I was like, ‘Who is this tall guy — this tall mysterious man,’. I literally had no clue who he was, but I would just see him around.” She also confessed that she found the then-rising baseball star to be cute off the bat, but was hesitant to do something about it. But their paths kept crossing, and they ended up going on a “chill” date, the gymnast stated.

And now, despite the differences in their personalities, Livvy and her beloved seem to be navigating through life without much trouble. And with that, they are also at the zenith of their professional careers. Naturally, the attention can become something difficult to handle for someone as shy as Skenes. Thankfully, he had his bae to help him out. “She got to that point in her life a little bit earlier than I did. So, with the draft and all of that, she was able to help me with those experiences. And I think I’m able to help her. We’re definitely able to share some of those experiences and help each other out,” the pitching celebrity told MLB.com.

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