Oliva “Livvy” Dunne has given her final salute.
The Louisiana State University gymnast announced on Instagram that she will be unable to participate in her senior night due to an injury.
“Hi friends! Unfortunately, I’ve been dealing with an avulsion fracture of my patella and will not be able to compete on senior night,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “It absolutely breaks my heart to not get the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time. Tiger fans, you’ve been so good to me!”
The news comes after a month of the gymnast being out due to a knee injury.
And while this might bring an end to her collegiate gymnastics career, the fifth-year senior from Hillsdale, New Jersey is still winning. The gymnastics star has amassed a major social media following throughout her years on the team. She quickly rose to fame on TikTok in the early days of the pandemic, and currently has 5.3 million Instagram followers.
This made her a top contender for NIL deals since the rule went into effect the summer after Dunne’s freshman year.
The 22-year-old has since gone on to model for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and has even had her picture on a billboard in Times square. However, it took some adjusting for the young athlete.
“I struggled, especially at first, with the amount of eyes on me,” Dunne told ESPN in January. “I was 18 years old when everything changed, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I felt like I couldn’t make a mistake.”
However, she quickly realized what was really important—keeping her focus on her sport.
“Something you learn on social media is you will get hate and you will get people that are bitter towards you, especially when you have success,” Dunne—who started dating MLB’s Paul Skenes in 2023—said. “But I think that having the eyes on me has been such a blessing in my life, and I feel like it’s translated over into eyes on the sport of gymnastics, which was a huge deal to me and a huge reason why I kept coming back for more.”
She emphasized, “Watching the growth of the sport, and women’s sports overall, has meant so much to me.”
For more on Dunne and Skenes, read on.
September 2023: Offically Official!
These LSU athletes met through mutual friends back in their college days—his best friend was dating her roommate. They first sparked romance rumors in June 2023 after the gymnast posted a TikTok video wearing the pitcher’s jersey.
Two months later, Paul Skenes confirmed their relationship.
“I do wish she could come to a baseball game and just enjoy it. It does irk me,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I don’t have any control over it. She really doesn’t either. I’m sure it’ll get better as I go up levels, but that’s something I want for her.”
October 2023: You’re So Golden
Olivia “Livvy” Dunn proudly featured her boyfriend and their new golden retriever puppy Roux in an Instagram post with the caption, “Here’s what you missed this month!”
November 2023: Date Night
The social media star rocked a stunning blue dress as she cozied up to her “fav d8” while attending their first wedding together.
December 2023: Under the Mistletoe
Far from Baton Rouge, the duo found themselves in New York City for the holidays. In fact, Paul even referred to his girlfriend as the “best tour guide in town.”
May 2024: “Way to go Bucco”
Livvy cheered on her boyfriend as the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher made his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs. She commemorated the moment with a sweet Instagram post captioned, “Way to go Bucco.”
June 2024: Season of Love
The Sports Illustrated model is “hooked” on her summer love, admitting that she finds herself getting emotionally invested in his games.
“I get more nervous watching Paul because it’s just different when you’re not doing it and you’re not in control,” she told the New York Post. “But I am confident in his abilities and I kinda channel those nerves into excitement for him.”
July 2024: Summer Highlights
The baseball player recapped his summer in a series of Instagram photos, most of which feature Livvy—and an adorable Roux cameo.
July 2024: Red Carpet Debut
The couple walked the MLB All-Star Game red carpet hand in hand. And the gymnast took a moment to gush about her All-Star boyfriend.
“My brain can’t even process how hard he throws,” she said on the red carpet, per a video posted on X by the MLB. “It is incredible and it’s such a joy to watch. He’s a great baseball player, but an even better person.”
