Home/Gymnastics
0
  Debate

Debate

Is Olivia Dunne the most exciting gymnast to watch this NCAA season?

Olivia Dunne sure knows how to keep her fans on their toes! Back on July 8th, she announced with a cheeky Instagram post that she’d be sticking around with the LSU gymnastics team for a fifth and final year. Her caption? “Not Dunne yet.” The post blew up, racking up over 55 million views, with fans cheering her on for choosing to use every bit of her NCAA eligibility. They’re clearly hyped to see her rock that purple and gold leotard again as she said, “There’s something about putting on a purple and gold leotard.”

Now that she’s gearing up for her final season, Livvy is back at it, showing off new skills on her TikTok. In her latest post, she’s in the LSU dressing room, casually throwing out some impressive moves while balancing on a handstand, captioning it, “This was hard.” Preseason training means Olivia Dunne is sharing more behind-the-scenes content, like she did last season.

She’s given fans a peek into the grueling world of gymnastics conditioning—hours spent in the Baton Rouge gym flipping, twisting, and nailing some killer handstands. One of her videos, titled “My day-off as a D1 athlete,” has over 1.5 million views. It shows her daily grind, starting at 5:30 a.m. for a gym session. Like all Division 1 athletes, Livvy’s got to pass an anti-doping test first thing in the morning. By 6:00 a.m., she’s ready to go.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Her days on campus are a whirlwind. At 6:30 a.m., she squeezes in a quick coffee stop at Starbucks with her teammates before hitting the gym by 7:00 a.m. for training. After practice, it’s straight to the stadium for treatment on her right shoulder, where Olivia Dunne jokes about getting a “life-changing massage.” But wait. There’s more!

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 23: Olivia Dunne of the LSU Tigers looks on during a meet against the Florida Gators at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on February 23, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

By 2:00 p.m., it’s back to the gym for conditioning, followed by more treatment at 3:30 p.m. on her torn labrum. Whew! At 5:00 p.m., she finally gets to eat with the rest of the gymnastics crew, and by 7:00 p.m., she’s diving into schoolwork for the next day. Sure, Livvy has mentioned she takes her classes online, but seeing the grind she puts into both gymnastics and her online career is pretty inspiring.

And speaking of that online presence—since the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rules changed, Livvy’s been living that influencer life. Valued at $4 million, she’s now the highest-paid female collegiate athlete thanks to her massive social media following and brand deals. But let’s not forget, a lot of that credit goes to her sister, Julz, who’s played a huge role in helping Olivia Dunne create content that’s taken social media by storm.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Olivia Dunne’s sister, Julz, the real mastermind behind her millions

What’s your perspective on:

Is Olivia Dunne the most exciting gymnast to watch this NCAA season?

Have an interesting take?

In the Money Game documentary, Olivia Dunne didn’t hold back in giving her sister, Julz, the credit she deserves. She admitted, “She’s the brains behind the operation,” making it clear that Julz deserves just as much of the limelight. Julz, who’s a year older than Olivia and graduated from LSU with a kinesiology degree, has been the mastermind behind Livvy’s success on social media. When Livvy first started out, she was all about the glam in her videos, but it was Julz who stepped in and put the content on the right track.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Julz doesn’t just brainstorm; she’s in charge of the whole production process, which can take hours. Even when it comes to a simple Instagram post, it’s Julz who comes up with that catchy caption. And she’s got a knack for injecting humor into Livvy’s content, something she’s more than happy to point out.

“If that girl has ever posted anything funny in her life, you know who came up with it because it wasn’t her,” Julz quipped. She even calls it a family business—and by the looks of it, it’s a very successful one. With over 8 million TikTok followers, Livvy’s fame and many of her career opportunities are largely thanks to her sister’s creative genius.

Have something to say?

Let the world know your perspective.