All Olivia Dunne does is win! LSU gymnast and social media sensation wraps up an incredible 2023 after raking in $3.5MILLION, becoming a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl… and getting a baseball star in the making for a boyfriend!

Sports Illustrated's new swimsuit issue, a spot on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list, an article in Elle magazine, 4.5 million Instagram and 7.8 million TikTok followers… the list goes on. To say Olivia Dunne has had a successful year would be a huge understatement.

At 21 years old, Dunne, also known by her nickname “Livvy,” has become one of the faces of college athletics' NIL age. The LSU gymnast used her social media presence to create incredible opportunities for herself and become the highest-paid female athlete in the NCAA.

According to On3 NIL trackerDunne's estimated annual earnings from her name, image and likeness are approximately $3.5 million. In addition to Sports Illustrated, Dunne also worked with ESPN, Body Armor, American Eagle Outfitters and Motorola in 2023.

“I never thought I would end up in this position,” Dunne said on a June 29 episode of the “Send in full'podcast. “I started growing my social media just because I love doing it.

“Since I was 10, I mean I've amassed a hundred thousand followers on Instagram just by posting gymnastics posts.”

In a function on Elle magazine, Dunne elaborated on her early exposure to social media. Dunne's mother, Kat, revealed how she encouraged Livvy to be productive on social media instead of just scrolling.

“If you want to hold your phone in your hand, don't just scroll, create content,” Kat told young Olivia.

Eleven years of combining her love for both activities ultimately led to an explosion of popularity and accolades, as Dunne began appearing regularly in the news in 2023.

The year started off well for Livvy when a large group of fans showed up for LSU's first meet of the season in Utah on Jan. 6.

While the support was incredible, the fans' vocal behavior toward the team and media members prompted LSU to take action to protect their star athlete. The university was forced to hire security for Dunne at every meeting.

In Baton Rouge, Dunne claims the Tigers community sees her for the fellow student she is. However, she admitted that she started taking all her classes online this year, perhaps to give her a chance to focus on her academic duties.

“I don't go to class, I do it all online,” Dunne said. “I feel like at LSU people always see me anyway, so no one's surprised when they see me, it's kind of like, 'Oh, there's Liv.'

'I've always had to take pictures with people and stuff, but I don't mind that so much when I'm away. It is what it is at the moment. I like meeting new people. Taking photos is part of the job.'

Fast forward to November, Dunne made her second appearance in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue with her rookie photo shoot in Portugal. Her first shoot for SI Swimming took place in October in Puerto Rico, shortly after she starred in a cover with LSU basketball star Angel Reese.

Dunne reflected on the milestone and talked about how difficult it was to keep this incredible opportunity a secret.

“Things just got crazier with Sports Illustrated, too, which was so exciting,” Dunne said. “I literally practiced later that day and I couldn't tell anyone for a long time. That was definitely one of the hardest secrets I had to keep.”

Her newfound support has clearly pushed Dunne to perform better as an athlete. After finishing fifth in the SEC on the uneven bars in 2022, Dunne took bronze in the conference this year.

Dunne shared her excitement to return to competition on December 16 after participating in an exhibition on LSU's grounds. The Tigers host their first meeting on January 5 at home against Ohio State.

While Dunne is undoubtedly in the running for the most popular title, he isn't looking to claim the title of “best athlete” from LSU's alumni dynasty. However, Livvy hopes that in the age of social media, her platform can draw attention to the school she represents.

“There are obviously great athletes that came before me,” Dunne said. “I mean Joe (Burrow), the women's basketball team is insane right now. As far as social media goes, I hope we have more attention on LSU, it's a sick school.”

With an ever-growing fan base and coming off a milestone year, Dunne doesn't see her success outside of athletics as a barrier to pursuing the sport that brought her here in the first place.

According to Dunne, just like in gymnastics, finding your balance is key.

“It's such a strange thought to just give up the sport you've been doing since you were three,” she thought. “I've always enjoyed growing social media and I've always done gymnastics as well. I feel like I can balance it out.”

Gymnastics, social media and magazine covers weren't the only places Dunne won this year. In August, Dunne confirmed her relationship with LSU alum and MLB prospect Paul Skenes.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft signed a record $9.2 million contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates in July.

Because they kept their relationship a secret in the beginning, Dunne said PEOPLE how it served as an important reminder to keep some aspects of her life private.

“I've definitely learned over the last few years that, especially over the last year, it's okay to keep certain things private,” Dunne told PEOPLE. “It's funny because it's initially speculated, but I think people noticed that we had photos and videos together in public, so that's kind of how the news got out. But we try to keep it private.”

The couple recently embarked on a romantic getaway to New York City before Dunne enters her final season and semester of college.

With millions of dollars and followers, Dunne has yet to reveal her plans after graduating from LSU.

But with all the success she's created for herself, we better believe we haven't seen the last of Livvy.