Looking for a new energy drink? Well, there’s a new flavor on the market put together by former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne.
If you’ve been following LSU gymnastics on Instagram this year, you’d know that some of the gymnasts like Haleigh Bryant, Aleah Finnegan, Amari Drayton and Kailin Chio have promoted the brand Accelerator on their personal accounts.
This brand deal came from the Livvy Fund, an NIL program launched by Dunne with the goals of inspiring female athletes to pursue new opportunities within college athletics.
Dunne, an acting ambassador and investor of Accelerator since 2023, has been able to use the Livvy Fund to spread some of the NIL success that she’s known to involve teammates Bryant, Finnegan, Drayton, Chio, fifth-year senior Chase Brock and senior KJ Johnson in an NIL deal.
Through her time working with the Accelerator, Dunne released her own cotton candy flavor at the beginning of April and was joined by many of the gymnasts who have collaborated with the brand at LSU’s local Rouses Market on Arlington Creek Center Drive on Monday to celebrate the launch of the new flavor.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my teammates. They mean the world to me, and it’s really hard to get NIL deals as a female athlete to begin with,” Dunne said. “So to help provide opportunities is something I care very deeply about, so to be able to help them is great, and I just love them so much.”
The larger audience present at the launch of the drink were young girls, and Dunne acknowledged her platform and how she feels in serving as a role model for them.
“I think that something that I stress is that you’re more than just your sport,” Dunne told the Reveille. “This drink goes beyond just gymnastics. This is kind of like a blast off into my future beyond gymnastics. So I’m super excited for this launch.”
Some fans present at the event waited up to four hours for the chance to see Dunne and the rest of the team.
Brandy Amadeo waited with her son, Aiden, a twelve year old male gymnast from 12:30 p.m. until 4:15 p.m. The boy who’s working on following his passion for his sport was more than enthusiastic to meet LSU gymnastics’ team and said it was worth the wait.
“It’s like a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Aiden Amadeo said. “So it’s worth it.”
Mothers who accompanied young girls present at the event also expressed joy over the fact that their daughters can look up to Dunne and her teammates in both the athletic and business industry.
“I think now that they’re getting more opportunities as female athletes, it’s kind of a neat opportunity to see what Livvy is doing for girls growing up,” one mother said. “Not only in female athletics, but the business world, and how we can all kind of help them kind of grow up in the world of business too.”
Finnegan was among the other LSU gymnasts working with Dunne on the launch.
“We are just so proud of her, and just the things that she’s been able to do through LSU and through just like nationwide, she has supported us, you know, inside the gym and outside as well,” Finnegan said. “You’re seeing it through NIL, you’re seeing it with Accelerator and, you know, all of the stuff that she’s done aside, she is a great person, a great friend, and just a great human being.”
