In the sports world, there’s none quite like Olivia Dunne, who has leveraged her demographic to become the highest-paid NCAA female athlete. Utilizing her gymnastics and social media skills, she has slowly but surely become a mogul, with multi-year NIL deals with American Eagle, Vuori, Planfuel, Forever 21, Accelerator Active Energy, and many others. Her journey in gymnastics began when she was just 3 and was a part of state, regional, and national competitions.
However, despite the years she has dedicated to the sport, Livvy has often been criticized and discredited. In a recent update, the 21-year-old Dunne opened up about managing overwhelming days in her sport through a new commercial.
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Olivia Dunne reveals her solution for tough days
Olivia Dunne took to her TikTok account to share a touching and motivational new commercial with her 7.9 million followers. The commercial featured Livvy for Vuori Athletics, an activewear brand. In the commercial, Dunne spoke about the pressures she faced growing up in competitive gymnastics, revealing the constant judgment and the feeling of needing to be perfect.
In the clip, a news broadcast voiceover played in the background that said, “She has over 15 million followers, but is Livvy Dunne good for women’s sports?“ The video showed snippets of Dunne diligently practicing and training with moments of serenity and enjoying a picnic in nature with her fur baby Roux and her sister Julz Dunne. Livvy shared how everyone gets overwhelmed, so being able to have something that brings you to that moment of happiness and that moment of peace and bliss is essential.
She underscored the significance of connecting with nature and loved ones and how moments of tranquility and happiness are within reach. Livvy shared, “Perfection isn’t real. But finding moments of bliss can be, I just have to look in the right places.” As we reflect on these words by Livvy, let us see how she has shared her thoughts on receiving backlash for making money through NIL.
Her message to those who discredit her fame
In 2023, Olivia Dunne and Angel Reese, LSU stars, graced the cover of “Sports Illustrated’s Money Issue,” discussing their earnings from NIL deals. A moment stood out when Olivia Dunne shared how people discredit her for the money she makes because of her social media prowess. Dunne addressed criticisms of her social media-driven income, stating, “People need to understand that I’ve worked for everything I’ve earned. I’ve spent years building an audience, and brands pay me for what they believe is worth the reach of the demographic that I offer.”
Despite amassing millions, Livvy has used her popularity to help other female athletes at LSU get deals and make money too. Thanks to Dunne and the Livvy Fund, many teammates secured NIL deals with Accelerator Active Energy. As we reflect on her upward trajectory, her commercial shows how Livvy has managed to stay positive and work hard, rising above criticism.
Written by
Edited by
Sampurna Pal