Getting out of bed shouldn’t feel like a full-contact sport. But for Olivia Dunne, it does.
The 22-year-old LSU gymnast-turned-social-media star has officially hung up her grips. After nearly two decades of brutal training, competitions, and hard landings, her body is waving the white flag. “It hurts to get out of bed in the morning,” Dunne admitted recently. And that pain? It’s got 18 years of receipts.
Dunne, who began gymnastics at the age of three, just wrapped up her fifth and final season at LSU. The Tigers won their first-ever national title this year, and Dunne went out on top.
But the cost? Way more than a sore back. She shared a gut-wrenching video montage on TikTok showing her worst crashes, flips gone wrong, and falls that’ll make you wince just watching.
Falls, Fractures, And Dunne’s Foot That Went Numb
It wasn’t just the falls. It was the expectation to bounce back like nothing happened.
“I couldn’t feel my left foot after,” Dunne wrote about one particularly nasty wipeout that saw her land violently on her back. “But I continued practice.”
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@livvy It built character tbh #foryou #gymnastics #fail #sports #flip #funny #lsu #college ♬ We Will Rock You – Remastered 2011 – Queen
That clip, along with dozens of others, reveals the brutal side of a sport often praised for its grace and elegance. Gymnastics is beautiful, yes. But it’s also punishing. One 21-second compilation doesn’t come close to showing the toll it took on her over the years. Still, it’s a start. And it’s shocking.
Dunne’s rise went far beyond the mat. She became the face of NIL deals in college sports, raking in seven figures while building an enormous fan base. But behind the fame was a body breaking down.
“I started competing at three,” she said. “It built character tbh.”
That might be the understatement of the year. Her final season came thanks to the NCAA’s COVID-era eligibility waiver. Even though she barely remembered her two classes, she chose to suit up one last time. Now retired, she’s focusing on recovery, and likely, continuing to grow her brand. But those early mornings? Still rough.
At just 22, Dunne lives with the kind of pain most don’t expect until decades later. The sport gave her everything. It also gave her injuries that won’t just fade. And the worst part? She didn’t even get a break after the worst falls.
Also Read: Olivia Dunne Faces Backlash For Her “Overexposing” Outfit Choice At SI Swimsuit Party
