Today, Olivia Dunne is one of the most popular collegiate athletes in the country. Making history with her teammates by winning the NCAA Championship trophy for the first time in LSU history, Dunne’s fandom is justified. Moreover, her incredible social media presence with over 20 million followers on Instagram and TikTok has also gained her massive NIL (name, image, likeliness) success. But it wasn’t always the case for the LSU standout and NCAA’s highest-earning female athlete, Livvy.

At one point in her life, Dunne expressed her frustration at how some fans didn’t consider her to be talented enough to become an NCAA legend. In Amazon Prime’s The Money Game, Livvy could be heard grumbling, “There’s people calling me just mean things, calling me a professional bench warmer,” highlighting how the trolls can sometimes get under her skin. But she’s determined to silence the naysayers.

Olivia Dunne shares her progress with heaving emotions

In her TikTok upload from December 10, Dunne shared how far she’s come as an artistic gymnast at the Baton Rouge campus. Captioned, “just had to let me cook,” the video is a testament to the uphill climb she’s undertaken to reach the point where she’s now. The accompanying video clip shows Dunne’s wobbly backflips as a freshman student at LSU. Subsequently, her transformation has been highlighted as Livvy performed the same skill in her 5th year as a senior. The betterment is unmistakable, and fans can marvel at how dedication has helped Dunne get better and prove that she’s not there to just provide moral support to her teammates.

In the two different versions of the gymnastics move, Dunne’s development is unmissable, as in the latter part of the video, she can be seen producing a much more steady rendition. Remembering the Tigers’ last season triumphs, one cannot help but note that Dunne’s incredible routines were instrumental in aiding the LSU squad bag its first-ever NCAA title.

And yet, despite all the growth and progress, even today, Livvy can’t escape the daunting issues that keep coming after her. When Olivia kissing the NCAA trophy surfaced on the internet, harsh words came flying: fans sneered by pointing out that she was nothing more than an extra at the NCAA finals. With that, many opined that her “benchwarmer” tag was justified and didn’t hold back on taking jibes at the gymnast. And those words didn’t go unnoticed by Dunne’s near and dear ones.

It was later revealed that a tryst with injuries led head coach Jay Clark to keep Dunne on the bench for the finals, and the gymnast also mentioned it was the right call to protect herself as well. “I love gymnastics, but I would also love my body to be in one piece.” Dunne didn’t mince words on how her health is the top priority for everyone. “My role on the team was like to step up when I needed to,” she further sought to quench the fans’ inquisitive mind about her absence from the national championship final.

The crumbling pressure can be hard to evade

When Olivia announced her intention to return to LSU for one final ride with the band, fans went berserk. The thought that she could finish her collegiate career on a high note by defending the national title was indeed titillating, and fans couldn’t wait to see if Dunne had enough steam left in her engines to pull that off. Thankfully, with stars like Haleigh Bryant, and the prestigious Gym-Slam in her pocket, Dunne will be in good company. But her MLB star boyfriend Paul Skenes still seems to have his reservations about watching his bae make her comeback on the gymnastics floor.

“Yeah, and it’s such a different sport but I’m literally…you know…first and foremost, I want her to do well. But also I want to make sure that she is healthy and enjoying it,” the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher said earlier this year. But it’s more than just gymnastics that Livvy has to struggle with.

Despite being the second-highest-valued NIL athlete with a $4 million valuation, Livvy still struggles with her body image. “I just didn’t know what to do. And it was really hard with body image for a while,” she was heard confessing in an episode of The Money Game. But the Tigers head coach Jay Clark believes such expectations can become a distraction and tries his best to ensure his squad is feeling their best while going into competitions. Moreover, Clark never fails to defend his athletes when sneering words try to get them down.

“I know sometimes people say she doesn’t do as much as her level of fame might indicate. She has played a tremendous role and been a great athlete from a gymnastics perspective. If she has to be put in first or third or last, she is one of the people who can be relied on to go in,” The LSU HC Jay Clark noted how Dunne understands her role in the team perfectly and is never shy to do what’s necessary. And so far, Dunne’s been able to make use of Clark’s wisdom brilliantly! What new heights foresee for Olivia Dunne in the coming days, when her time at Baton Rouge comes to an end? Tell us in the comments!