LSU Gymnast, Olivia Dunne, to feature on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover

LSU Gymnast Olivia Dunne to feature on Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue cover.

The 20-year-old social media sensation called it a “dream come true,” in an Instagram post announcing her bikini bible debut.

Back in January, she traveled to Puerto Rico for the sizzling shoot.

“Two days ago I competed, I was at school, and then yesterday I flew here, had my fitting, and here I am shooting,” she said.

Dunne posed in a skimpy gray bikini with cutouts that showed off her pert posterior.

The blonde has essentially become the face of the NCAA’s Name, Image and Likeness rule, which went into effect in July 2021 and allowed college athletes to profit off their personal brand.

With numerous brand deals with companies including American Eagle and Vuori, a reported net worth of $2.3 million, and 11 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, Dunne has transcended her sport and blazed a new trail for female athletes.

“Women’s sports is something that I want to support and leave my legacy on,” Dunne says. “I want to show other athletes that you can have it all — especially women,” she says.

Dunne, currently a junior at Louisiana State University, is the NIL’s highest-paid female athlete, bringing in over three million dollars in brand deals.

Her SI Swimsuit spread makes Dunne one of the first college athletes to be featured in print for the coveted issue, an “incredible honor” not lost on Dunne. (The only other college athlete to ever be in SI Swimsuit will also make her debut in this year’s issue.)

“When I first got the call, I honestly was in disbelief,” she says. “That’s the best word to describe it. I got off the phone, I was screaming and jumping around, and I called my mom immediately, and I think I cried.”

SI Swimsuit Editor-in-Chief MJ Day tells PEOPLE that she wanted to include Dunne, who has dealt with criticism during her rise to fame, for “owning” her worth as an athlete and a woman.

“Usually being a D1 athlete, an all-academic and an industrious entrepreneur is enough to garner respect and accolades. But when you are Livvy Dunne and you also mix in being arrestingly beautiful, you unfortunately garner the ire and resentment of a certain niche population,” Day says. “… The backlash she received for ‘leveraging’ her sexuality for endorsement dollars after the NIL restrictions were lifted is incorrect. We are here to celebrate this incredible young woman and encourage the world to respect and applaud Livvy and her fellow athletes for owning the blood, sweat and tears that have fueled a lifetime of achievements.”