Olivia Dunne was in utter “disbelief” upon learning that she would be featured in the 2023 edition of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
When speaking to Hurrdat Sports on Tuesday ahead of a College World Series game between her LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers in Omaha, the superstar gymnast, 20, was asked about the moment she received the career-altering news.
“It was surreal,” Dunne recalled. “I got off the phone and I screamed immediately, and I called my mom and I was in disbelief.”
Dunne made her highly anticipated Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut earlier this spring after being photographed for the publication in January.
For her shoot, which took place in Puerto Rico, Dunne was only allowed one day off as it was scheduled around the time her gymnastics season was getting underway.
“We went to Puerto Rico, it was right when my gymnastics season started, and they usually take six days to shoot it, and I obviously can’t take six days off from the beginning of my season,” Dunne previously said, according to Outkick.
“I prayed for good weather and then I shot and I came back to school.”
The New Jersey native, who is the NCAA’s highest-earning female athlete with an NIL valuation of $3.4 million, has called the opportunity with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit “a dream come true.”
“Just getting the opportunity to be in SI Swimsuit was such a dream of mine and when it happened, I actually could not believe it,” she told the publication.
With more than 11 million followers between her TikTok and Instagram pages, Dunne wants to use her platform to continue to champion for female athletes.
“I can use my voice to keep fighting for women to get fair treatment when it comes to NIL deals, because they deserve it,” she said.
It’s been a year to remember for Dunne, who is now soaking up every bit of summer since wrapping up her junior year of college.
She recently jetted to Italy with family before returning stateside to support LSU at the College World Series.
The Tigers topped the Vols on Tuesday, 5-0, to keep their championship hopes alive.
LSU will face top-ranked Wake Forest on Wednesday night.
