In Pictures: Olivia Dunne enjoys beach vacation in Florida with boyfriend Paul Skenes ahead of her impending return to LSU

LSU gymnast and social media star Olivia Dunne is set to return to the NCAA for one last season; before that, she's making the most of her off-time before she comes back to the gym. Recently, the 22-year-old shared snaps of her beach vacation with boyfriend Paul Skenes, leaving fans impressed.

For Dunne, 2024 was a busy season. Despite dealing with injuries early in the year, she competed in nine meets for the Tigers, averaging a score of 9.857 on the floor. She posted a career-high of 9.900 on the event at the Podium Challenge, repeating the feat at the NCAA Fayetteville Regional Second Round. The youngster also competed on the uneven bars, averaging a score of 9.838, with a season-best of 9.875.

The American wrapped up her season as a national champion with LSU storming to the NCAA title and even made an appearance on the 2024 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Now, as she prepares to head back to Louisiana State University for one final season, Olivia Dunne is enjoying her time away from the gym. She recently shared snaps of her beach vacation with boyfriend Paul Skenes on Instagram, captioning them,

“No complaints.”

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Olivia Dunne on becoming a social media star

Olivia Dunne on handling social media - Source: Getty

While she impresses as a gymnast, Olivia Dunne has also made a name for herself as a social media star over the years. The 22-year-old boasts a following of 13 million on TikTok and Instagram combined and is the highest-paid female collegiate athlete thanks to her popularity.

Speaking to Flaunt Magazine in an interview, Dunne explained her relationship with social media, saying,

“I started social media because I loved to do it. I would have had to sacrifice my gymnastics career to make money or quit social media [to continue gymnastics]. But I didn’t have to give up either one.”

She further added:

“I worked really hard to get to where I am in building my personal brand, and it didn’t happen in the blink of an eye. It didn’t happen in just a year. It didn’t happen because of one viral moment. It happened over years of getting to know my audience, learning the algorithms, and growing my brand to be what it is today. That’s why people are so fascinated with what I’m doing.”

Olivia Dunne and the LSU Tigers will be back in action in the gym for their 2025 season starting on January 3. The team will compete in five home meets and six away meets, before moving on to the SEC Championships in March.