Back in April, it was revealed that Olivia Dunne was the newest Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
Dunne, a gymnast at LSU, boasts a following of over 7 million people on TikTok and another 4 million on Instagram.
The 20-year-old called the opportunity a “dream come true,” but it was oh so close to not happening at all.
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Dunne detailed her experience with the photoshoot at the On3 NIL Elite Series in Nashville on Wednesday.
According to OutKick, which moderated the event, swimsuit photoshoots typically last close to a week. However, when Sports Illustrated reached out to her in the middle of the season, she was only granted one day by her coach.
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But it was an opportunity she was not going to let slip away.
So, she hopped on a plane to Puerto Rico in hopes that she’d get 24 hours of sunshine.
Goal achieved — the sun shined bright during the shoot, and she was back at LSU the next day.
“Being a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model is a dream come true,” Dunne said in a video posted to the publication’s Instagram page back in April. “There’s a lot of young girls who look up to me, and I feel like a lot of young girls also follow Sports Illustrated. So, both of our brands, I think, align because we both want to inspire the younger generation.”
“As a woman, no one really expected a gymnast to be at the forefront of (name, image and likeness deals). Most people expected football, baseball, basketball. To be a woman at the forefront, and trying to make the playing field more level, is definitely a step in the right direction,” she added.
Dunne is about to be a senior for the Tigers. Her junior year was hampered a bit by injuries, but when she was able to compete, she drew massive audiences and helped guide LSU to victories.
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