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After months of preparation, Paul Skenes' girlfriend Olivia Dunne and the LSU Tigers are ready to set the stage on fire in an in-house exhibition game against Gymnastics 101 at Pete Maravich Assembly Centre on Dec. 16. This is an annual exhibition game where LSU gymnasts showcase their skills in front of a live audience. LSU's regular NCAA gymnastics schedule kicks off on Jan. 3 against Iowa State.
Dunne, who is returning along with fellow seniors like Haleigh Bryant, Sierra Ballard, Chase Brock and Alyona Shchennikova, aims to end her fifth and final season on a high note. The Tigers won the NCAA championship last season.
On Sunday, Dunne posted a photo of her in a leotard, beaming with excitement as she prepares to take the mat on Monday.
"tmr -> Pete Maravich Assembly Centre," Dunne wrote.
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Olivia Dunne speaks about problems playing gymnastics
Olivia Dunne has been doing gymnastics at a high level since she was just 12, making her elite debut at the 2014 American Classic and finishing 28th in the all-around. She joined the Tigers in 2020 and finally became an NCAA champion in April.
However, Dunne, who has been associated with the sport for a long time and is popular among common people, spoke about the problems faced by athletes, both physical and mental. She said in an interview with Flaunt Magazine in October:
"You need to have thick skin to do gymnastics or any artistic sport. Anorexia and body image issues are the most common problems in artistic sports. Growing up in elite gymnastics, it was very hard dealing with body image (especially during puberty) ... In gymnastics, everyone is judging you."
"I want girls to know that it's normal. That's normal," Dunne added.
Olivia Dunne is more than just a gymnast. According to On3, she's the highest-paid female athlete in the college landscape, with NIL deals worth $4.2 million. She has previously stated that she aims to help upcoming athletes understand the NIL space and how to exploit it for their betterment.
