The World Is Livvy Dunne’s Oyster

In Bustle’s The Pregame, we ask women athletes about their pregame rituals. How do they get in the zone? What do they wear for a big meet? Here, gymnast-turned-social-media star Livvy Dunne talks about getting ready for her infamous floor routines.

When you see Livvy Dunne flipping between the uneven bars, where she’s earned impressive high scores like 9.925, it’s easy to see how she became one of the highest-earning female athletes in college sports. Dunne joined the Louisiana State University gymnastics team in 2020 and helped them win the 2024 national championship last April.

After graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies that December, Dunne announced her retirement from collegiate gymnastics in April. “Thank you for everything, gymnastics,” she wrote on Instagram. “You were so good to me.”

“It’s very exciting [to retire] because I feel like the world is now my oyster,” the 22-year-old tells Bustle. As any Dunne fan will know, she’s been busy building her online brand, which stems from her star power on social media. Her TikTok following just surpassed 8 million, and she has more than 5 million followers on Instagram, where she shows off her strength, travel pics, and enviable red carpet outfits.

In the few short months since retiring, Dunne has modeled for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit and worked with major brands like Invisalign. “My smile is my favorite part of any outfit,” she says. Dunne also frequents Pittsburgh Pirates games to watch her boyfriend, pitcher Paul Skenes. The two have been dating for three years.

“We met at LSU, and I’ve been with him ever since,” she says. “It’s been pretty crazy being his girlfriend alongside him going through the minor leagues, and now he’s one of the best pitchers in the MLB. Whenever he’s pitching, I try to go and watch the same way he would try to come and support me while I was competing.”

Here, Dunne looks back on her gymnastics career, including how she coped with nerves at big competitions, and the one treat she had to have before every meet.

How did you get in the zone before a meet?

My trick to feeling confident was to calm down. I would listen to chill music, do my makeup alone, and take deep breaths. I would call this my “hourglass.” You have all this outside noise, but you narrow it down to your own little moment before getting back out there.

Did you ever meditate to get in the right frame of mind?

We always did a team meditation. Our mindset coach from LSU would come in and we would all lay down in a room and visualize our routines to gain confidence.

What was your go-to makeup and skin care for competing?

I would always go for flawless skin — something that would glow under those big arena lights. I’d also use hairspray on my face as a setting spray. It was a trick I learned from the LSU cheerleaders, who had to be outside in the sun.

You recently did a split on the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit runway. Tell me more about that moment.

I felt a little nervous at first because I’ve never walked a runway — I’ve only ever run down a runway and vaulted — so it was really exciting to get out there. I got to open the show, so I figured, why not have fun with it and do a split? I like to think that even though I’m done with gymnastics, gymnastics will never leave me. I will always be a gymnast at heart.

Had you practiced your model strut before?

Totally. Every girl at some point does a runway walk, whether it’s in the privacy of her own home or just having fun with friends. It was pretty surreal to be able to go out there and do that.

When you started at LSU, did you ever expect to have so much success on social media?

You know what? I never doubted it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.