As part of the Louisiana State University Tigers women’s gymnastics team, Olivia Dunne established herself as one of the most recognizable figures in college athletics. With her exciting performances and enormous online popularity, she became among the defining faces of the modern NIL era. However, her competitive gymnastics career has come to an end because of an injury. Now, Dunne is beginning to focus on a completely different ambition beyond the track.
For years, Dunne’s life revolved around training, competitions and representing LSU on the national stage. While she was widely known for her routines and achievements in collegiate gymnastics, the demanding schedule left little room to explore other interests. With that chapter now closed, the former gymnast is beginning to invest more time in something she has been curious about for quite a while: acting.
Talking to People, as reported by Marca, Dunne, the girlfriend of MLB star Paul Skenes, revealed that she has kick-started her acting ambitions by taking classes and exploring opportunities in the entertainment industry. She said she feels enthusiastic about this new endeavor. “One thing people would be surprised about is that I take acting lessons and I really love it…It’s something I’ve been passionate about for quite some time,” Dunne said.
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Dunne Now Has An Advantage Because Of Her Social Media Following
In 2024, Dunne won the NCAA championship with LSU. However, in April 2025, she was forced to retire from gymnastics altogether due to a fracture caused by an avulsion in her kneecap. During her stint, she gained a massive social media following, making her one of the most visible athletes in the NCAA landscape, redefining what it meant to be a college sports star in the NIL era.
Now, with her gymnastics career over, she could extend that popularity and reach, with over 5.3 million and 7.9 million followers on Instagram and TikTok, to her acting pursuit. She has been equipped with enough experience thanks to her sponsorship deals, brand partnerships and mainstream media attention. As she now channels her time and energy into this acting passion, she is also starting her path to Hollywood.
“I have more time to lean into the acting stuff and the creative side of things,” Dunne said. She said that gymnastics and acting share a common denominator that she loves and excites her: creativity. “Whether it’s gymnastics or acting in a movie or a TV show, I just think watching all your hard work pay off – whether it’s an individual thing or a group thing – I think it’s so cool,” she added.
Published: Mar 9, 2026 03:00 pm