Before announcing her decision to return to Louisiana State University for her fifth and final year of eligibility in July, Olivia “Livi” Dunn found herself falling in love with gymnastics once again.
The 21-year-old gymnast, who helped lead the Louisiana State University program to its first-ever NCAA Championship in April, spoke to The Washington Post about the ups and downs of her gymnastics career, including negative comments from critics and what led her to decide to try for a second consecutive title with the Lady Tigers.
“I really want to come back. First of all, I won it last year,” Dunn told The Post in an exclusive interview while promoting his six-part documentary series, “The Money Game,” which is now streaming. Prime Video This is a look at LSU's Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) program for athletes, including Dunn during LSU's title run.
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“It was very exciting not only for our team but the whole university, and I would love to experience that feeling again. The bond with the girls was really special.”
“I would say I found my love for the sport again last year, and that was one of the main reasons I wanted to come back.”
Dunn said there were “definitely” times when his love for the sport wavered, including a reserve role last season that was also plagued by injury.
“I think [being in that] “It's really hard being part of a team because there are so many people who say you're not important or that you're on the team but you're not really on the team,” she said, referring to negative comments from critics who question whether she's a real gymnast. “There are more people who don't do it than those who do. It's hard, but the sport is competitive and being part of a team is healthy competition that makes each other better.”
“There was a time when my love for sports waned. My sophomore and junior years were a really hard balance to maintain. Balancing school and sports was really hard and I didn't have anyone to take over because no one had done it before. So I had to carve my own path and find what worked for me.”
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Dunn stopped by The Post studios in New York on Tuesday along with Louisiana State University guard Fraujay Johnson, who also appears in the documentary series.
In it, the Sports Illustrated model talks about how he embraced his role as a reserve player during his final year of high school.
“I'm happy for the guys, but it hurts for a second,” Dunn said on the show after being left out of the lineup for last season's game against Arkansas.
“I'm a reserve a lot of the time and I kind of accept that role because everyone in the gym is working just as hard as me. There are a lot of great athletes around and you either rise or fall,” she said.
Dunn ended up filling in for KJ Johnson in that game and helping the Tigers beat the Razorbacks, all while her boyfriend, Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, was smiling and watching from the stands.
LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark praised Dunn's leadership and reliability at every position.
“I know some people think, 'She hasn't done much for how famous she is,' but I kind of resent that because she played such a big role and was such an asset from a gymnastics standpoint,” Clark said.
“She’s one of those people you can trust. [at any position]The characters she plays show that she is one of the best actors out there.”
Dunn announced his decision to return to LSU. Videos on Social MediaThe caption read: “Not Dan yet.”
That month, the New Jersey native told The Washington Post that she would not continue gymnastics beyond the collegiate level and would also opt out of competing in the Olympics.
