Olivia “Livvy” Dunne took her 5.3 million Instagram followers on a wild journey Saturday because the Grand Marshal of the Krewe of Endymion parade in New Orleans earlier than Mardi Gras.
Clad in an emerald inexperienced robe, the star LSU gymnast — now in her fifth and last yr with the Tigers — posted movies to her Instagram Story as she rode on a float by way of the town and tossed purple beaded necklaces to onlookers, who waved and cheered.
“Mardi gras livvy unlocked,” Dunne captioned a video of her parade ensemble in a TikTok video.
Dunne, who boasts a whopping eight million followers on the viral video platform, was chosen as this yr’s Grand Marshal as a result of “her spirit and energy reflect that of Mardi Gras,” parade organizers mentioned in a press release final month.
“We are incredibly excited to have Olivia Dunne as our Grand Marshal for the 2025 Endymion Parade,” Dan Kelly, the Endymion Captain, mentioned, in keeping with NOLA.com. “Her spirit and energy reflect that of Mardi Gras, and we can’t wait to celebrate this special occasion with her leading the way.”
Dunne participated in Saturday’s parade with a heavy coronary heart following the loss of life of fellow LSU athlete Dillon Reidenauer, who was tragically killed in a automotive crash Wednesday on the age of 18.
The gymnast and her Tigers teammates wore black ribbons of their hair to honor the pole vaulter throughout LSU’s meet in opposition to George Washington on Friday.
The Tigers defeated George Washington with a season-high rating of 198.125-195.475.
The No. 2 ranked LSU is coming off a championship run, with this system incomes its first nationwide title in 2024.
It was a yr stuffed with milestones for Dunne, who earned her undergraduate diploma in interdisciplinary research in December.
The Sports activities Illustrated Swimsuit mannequin, who boasts an NIL valuation of $4.1 million, per On3 Sports activities, has been celebrated alongside the best way by boyfriend Paul Skenes, the Pirates’ star pitcher and reigning NL Rookie of the Yr.
The couple confirmed their romance in 2023.