“I’m always trying to think of the next thing…I love to think about what comes next.” Olivia Dunne‘s remarks last year during a podcast conversation with Flau’jae Johnson said everything about who she is—forward-thinking, goal-oriented, and always planning for what’s ahead. When a three-year-old Livvy told her parents she wanted to become a gymnast in 2005, it was this exact mindset that had peeked from a corner, with a rather silly goal: The sparkly pink leotard, that has now become symbolic of an iconic life lived. Be it creating a social media empire or turning heads with her routines, it’s almost as if Olivia Dunne had become synonymous with success. It was almost as if whatever the star touched turned into gold. But, fast forward to 2025, and life had a rather brutal reality check ready for the 22-year-old…

Signs of distress first started surfacing in March, with Senior Night looming—the Tigers’ final home meet of the season—when the young phenom shared a message with her fans: “Hi friends! Unfortunately, I’ve been dealing with an avulsion fracture of my patella and will not be able to compete on senior night.” A short caption. A heavy truth. After her last appearance back in January against Arkansas, where she scored a 9.70 on floor, Livvy remained with the team. She suited up, stayed engaged, and supported her teammates. Even two days ago, the LSU Tigers’ gymnast had ambitiously stated how she’s doing everything she can to make one final NCAA Gymnastics Championships appearance. “I’m doing everything I can to be able to. I’m not sure what the case will be, but I don’t think I’ll be able to tumble or do beam. Bars is not out of the question.”

But even Olivia, with her checklists and mapped-out dreams, likely never imagined a night like April 17. On Thursday, inside a buzzing arena packed with pressure and promise, Olivia’s LSU Tigers gave it everything they had in the NCAA semifinals. Kailin Chio brought the crowd to its feet with a near-perfect 9.975 on vault, securing the 19th individual national title by a Tiger and eighth on vault. KJ Johnson backed it up with a solid 9.8375, and the Tigers closed with a formidable team total of 197.5250. It was a valiant effort—a score worthy of pride. But it wasn’t enough, as they finished third behind Utah (197.7625) and UCLA (197.7375), who will now move to Saturday’s final round. 

The scoreboard didn’t lie. And two things stood out in sharp relief: First, their run to the national title had come to an end. Second, Olivia Dunne wasn’t out there with them. For the nth consecutive meet, Olivia was absent from the lineup, sidelined by a “little avulsion fracture” that proved to be anything but little. The injury that had nagged her became the quiet curtain call to her collegiate gymnastics career. No final floor routine. No vault. No beam. Just the sideline—and the sting of watching it all from the outside. That 9.70 in January? It stands as her last competitive score in an LSU leotard. Her final moment on the mat? A memory, frozen in time. Ultimately, it’s not the ending anyone envisioned—not Olivia Dunne, not LSU, not the fans who followed her journey from the very start. Notably, Thursday was also Haleigh Bryant’s last appearance on the NCAA mat. 

Having said that, was Livvy’s injury really that bad? Unfortunately, yes. An avulsion fracture isn’t just a nagging injury—it’s brutal. It happens when a chunk of the kneecap tears away, pulled by the force of the patellar ligament or quadriceps tendon. It’s the kind of injury that turns explosive power, the hallmark of a gymnast, into a painful impossibility. However, this wasn’t the only time Olivia had to miss a key amount of time on the mat because of her injury. 

Olivia Dunne earned her position by surviving several dark chapters

“Out gymnastics it’s been real… and of course forever LSU!” Olivia Dunne wrote on Thursday, moments after the LSU Tigers wrapped up their semifinal match. It was more than just a farewell—it was a love letter to a sport that shaped her, and to a university that became her second home. The emotions were raw, the memories rich. But Livvy isn’t quite done writing her story just yet.

By Friday, she shared more. This time, it was a throwback—a childhood photo of her in a onesie, clutching a trophy with a medal draped proudly around her neck. The caption? “gymnastics, i will love you forever.” It was simple, nostalgic, and deeply heartfelt—a reminder of the little girl who once dreamed, and the woman who made that dream come true through years of grit and sacrifice. Because if there’s one thing Olivia Dunne’s journey proves, it’s that success never comes easy.

In the first half of 2023, she was forced off the mat after suffering an injury in early December 2022. For six weeks, she kept her foot wrapped in a protective boot and her spirit focused on healing. She didn’t tumble. She didn’t train. She simply waited—something no elite athlete enjoys doing. Later that same year, an ankle injury took her out of action again, causing her to miss more meets.

And then there were the moments off the mat—moments that tested her in a different way. During a high-profile meet against Utah, a group of rowdy young men in the crowd hijacked the atmosphere, chanting, “We want Livvy! Give us Livvy!” in an uncomfortable display that rattled the event. Dunne, ever poised, took to Twitter shortly after with a calm but powerful message: “I want to ask you to please be respectful.” Her battles, however, weren’t just physical—they were public, emotional, and at times, deeply personal.

Over the course of just four years leading up to 2025, Livvy endured more than her fair share of physical hardship: two torn labrums, a torn bicep, a stress reaction in her leg, and the endless cycle of rehab and recovery that followed each one. But through every setback, she kept showing up. She kept fighting.

Today, Olivia Dunne stands not just as a gymnast, but as a symbol of perseverance. A social media sensation, a trailblazer for NIL deals, and a competitor who turned pain into purpose. Her journey isn’t just about medals or perfect 10s—it’s about resilience, growth, and the unshakable love for the sport that raised her. And now, as she steps into a new chapter, we follow—not just to see what comes next, but because we’ve seen what it took to get here.