Elizabeth Smart Participates in Bodybuilding Competitions

Finding Strength on Stage: Elizabeth Smart Embraces Bodybuilding

Elizabeth Smart, known for her powerful advocacy work following her harrowing abduction in 2002, has found a new platform: the bodybuilding stage. On Tuesday, Smart posted a picture from a recent competition, marking it as her fourth such event.

"I think it's easy to be labeled as one thing, and honestly, that's not me nor do I think it's any of us, we are more than just one topic, one idea, one label."

Smart revealed that she previously would not have considered competing in bodybuilding. She acknowledged a deep-seated concern about being judged or taken less seriously in her advocacy work, calling these feelings "eerily familiar" for survivors. She is determined to pursue new activities without regret.

Smart is redefining her relationship with her own body, turning competition into a powerful act of gratitude and liberation.

"My body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience, it's created and nurtured three beautiful children, my body has risen to every single challenge life has presented it with, and carried me through so I refuse to be ashamed of it."

She concluded her statement with an empowering call to action: "I refuse to feel embarrassed about trying something new and am embracing my chance at life to the absolute fullest I can. I only hope that we all find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves and most importantly, happiness."

In an interview with CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King, Smart described her first competition as a deeply vulnerable experience.

"I grew up always just being so modest," she said. "I don't think I wore a bikini until I was on my honeymoon. So stepping up on stage in a bikini felt like the most vulnerable thing I could possibly do. I was shaking."

Now, however, she feels "almost liberated to a degree."

Bodybuilding allows her to be more than one thing: a bodybuilder, someone who feels beautiful or sexy, and still a dedicated advocate for women and children against sexual violence.

Smart was kidnapped from her Salt Lake City home at age 14 on June 5, 2002, and was found nine months later. Today, she advocates for sexual assault victims through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation. She describes her pivot into bodybuilding as "a celebration" of her body, noting her gratitude for it carrying her through three pregnancies and to where she is today.

The comment section on Smart's post has been filled with praise. Users called her "an inspiration," a "powerhouse," and "a survivor who has taken her power back."

One comment captured the sentiment perfectly: "Now your strength is visible on the outside, too."