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Olivia Dunne’s Family: Everything to Know About Her Mom and Dad

The athlete and content creator’s mother and father equipped her with the tools required to become the success she is today.

Diana Nosa

Olivia Dunne
Olivia Dunne / Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Behind Olivia Dunne is a support system so sturdy that one could argue she wouldn’t be the force she is today without it.

And the two people who empowered Dunne to wear the belts of a champion gymnast and internet sensation are none other than her mother and father, David and Katherine Dunne, each of whom deserves their roses for molding her into the very best version of herself. It’s high time the world gets to know the guiding figures behind the 23-year-old’s success.

Here’s everything to know about this remarkable young woman’s mom and dad.

 Who are Katherine and David Dunne?

As noted above, Katherine and David Dunne are the parents of gymnastics powerhouse Olivia Dunne. PEOPLE have previously reported that the two hail from New Jersey, having met at Rutgers University. There, David played college football for the school’s early 1990s team, while Katherine took to the gymnasium to try her hand at gymnastics.

 What do Katherine and David do professionally?

Outside of the athletic realm, Katherine went on to study business and education. As for David, he attended Pace University in New York for graduate school and went to Rutgers University to round out his academic career in law. David then became a corporate lawyer.

The moment these two met at Rutgers University, they were destined to be together. In May 2000, Katherine and David officially tied the knot.

A year later, the couple welcomed their first daughter, Julianna, in February 2001. Olivia was then born in October 2002. Needless to say, in addition to their professional pursuits, Katherine and David are also full-time parents.

 How Olivia’s parents support her journey

Between their respective academic and post-college careers, both parents became well-versed in navigating a booked and busy lifestyle while also learning to stop and smell the roses. David and Katherine’s approach to life equipped Olivia with just what she needed to become the athlete and social media powerhouse that she is today.

“My kids all grew up with technology in their hands, and I’ve always been a big advocate of putting technology in the hands of kids and teaching them how to use it safely,“ Katherine shared with ELLE. “If you’re going to have your phone in your hand, don’t just scroll through—let’s make content, let’s do something.“

She continued, adding, “So many parents treat technology in the opposite way. They think of it as just, ‘You’re wasting your time.’ But if that’s what your child is interested in, then what can it become?”

With over 5 million followers on Instagram and 8 million on TikTok, Olivia has made a name for herself in content creation. Her mother embraced the digital age with open arms and pushed her daughter to use it to her advantage.

“Instagram was a cool platform for young kids,” Katherine told The Daily Advertiser. “But when TikTok came out, she started using it for gymnastics, but also for some of the fun, dynamic parts of her personality. Then she grew it a lot during COVID when she wasn't able to train as much. She developed it because she could focus on it.“

And the Dunne family matriarch wasn’t the only one supporting their daughter’s social media popularity, as David also helped in his own way. In his eyes, aiding Olivia with the legal side of business was absolutely imperative.

“A lot of entities are reaching out to us. I'm looking over contracts, doing what I need to do to get Olivia in position,” David voiced to The Daily Advertiser during the rise of Olivia’s career. “It’s been crazy. It’s exciting times for the Dunne family right now. We’re keeping all options open.”

How they beat misconceptions around being athlete parents

Katherine and David’s relentless support for Olivia allowed the athlete to thrive on the mat, as her parents have always made it a priority to put their daughter first.

When Olivia was a child, Katherine decided to homeschool her daughter so she could chase her dreams and focus on her sport. She eventually enrolled Olivia at the prestigious Eastern National Academy of Paramus. It was there that Olivia learned the foundations of gymnastics that launched her into the successful career she has now.

Despite her unparalleled prowess as a gymnast, Olivia’s mother helped her understand that being outstanding in her sport isn’t all that she is. This was an important sentiment for Olivia to hear, especially in a world where some parents see their children as athletes first and everything else second.

“I think the best advice I've got is from my mom,” Olivia expressed on the Athletes x Icons panel at Fanatics Fest in 2024. “She told me that you're more than your sport, and I really took that to heart, and I want all athletes to know that. That you are more than your sport and that a bad day in the gym doesn't define you.“

Katherine and David are a refreshing example of how supporting their child every step of the way in her pursuits can make all the difference.

What Katherine and David are doing now

Katherine and David remain full-time supporters of Olivia’s career, and though not often in the public eye, they root for her every move. For example, when Olivia launched the Livvy Fund—a way for the gymnast to give back to other young women in the gymnastics field—Katherine backed Olivia’s endeavors.

“There are collectives in NIL, which mostly go to the men’s sports, and I think that’s extremely unfair,” Olivia told ELLE. “So I wanted to let other women student athletes know that anyone can do this—you can do this. This is just the beginning, truly.”

Katherine added, “It made her start to think about what her bigger message was. It was like, ‘All right, you’re in the spotlight, good or bad, you get all of this attention, what is something that you want to do with it?’ And that started the conversation of how she wanted to give back to other women in sports.”

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Diana Nosa
DIANA NOSA

After graduating from Rutgers University with degrees in Psychology and Theatre, Diana Nosa ventured off on the path of becoming an entertainment journalist. Having her start on various entertainment sites, she eventually found her way to Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 2024 and has been working diligently ever since. Diana's interests include fashion, interior design and traveling. She's also an avid anime watcher and gamer––her favorite games being Elden Ring and Hollow Knight.

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