Elizabeth Smart said bodybuilding is about more to her than just transforming her appearance. By: Inside Edition
Elizabeth Smart recently competed in the Wasatch Warrior bodybuilding and fitness competition in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she took first place in the Fit Model Novice category, second place in the Fit Model D category and third place in Fit Model Masters 35+ category.
Following her win, the kidnapping survivor sat down with Inside Edition anchor Eva Pilgrim to discuss how the competition became about more than just transforming her body.
Her body ‘deserves to be celebrated’
Elizabeth Smart struggled with how the world might see her differently. By: Janet Gough/AFF-USA.COM/MEGA
Before the competition, Smart struggled with how the world might see her differently.
“I just kept on thinking, would people still believe me when I’m talking about fighting s****** violence? The more I thought about it, my body has carried me through every bad experience in my life — it deserves to be celebrated,” she said.
Smart was 14 when she was abducted from her home and held captive for nine months, during which she suffered repeated abuse, physical violence and starvation. She was found alive in March 2003 and has since devoted her life to advocating for the protection of children.
“I have one shot at life, and if my kidnapping should have taught me anything, it should teach me to live the life I’ve always dreamed of, to do everything I want to do,” she added.
‘The most vulnerable thing I could possibly do’
Smart also spoke with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, on which she opened up about just how nerve-wracking competing was.
“It was terrifying. It was absolutely terrifying,” she said. “I grew up always just being so modest. 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.”
The mother of three admitted she was “shaking” when she first walked out, and the nerves only got worse after she suffered an issue with her wardrobe while on stage.
“I had these beautiful long mermaid hair extensions that I’d never worn before in my life,” she recalled. “And you have all this big jewelry on. And you go through, like, this whole posing routine. And there’s a point where you flick your hair back over your shoulder. And I hadn’t ever practiced it with the long hair and the big jewelry, and my ring got stuck in my hair onstage. And so I just had to rip it out.”
How Smart got into bodybuilding
It wasn’t Elizabeth Smart’s first time on the bodybuilding stage. By: ZUMAPRESS.com/MEGA
It wasn’t Smart’s first time on the bodybuilding stage. It was actually her fourth.
She competed before but kept it private. “I was too afraid to post it before,” she previously admitted on Instagram. “Worried that I would be judged, not taken seriously, somehow perceived as less than or now unworthy to continue work as an advocate for all survivors.”
Before bodybuilding, Smart was a marathon runner. However, pain and discomfort started growing with time, leading her to walk away from the sport.
“My knees started hurting a little more. I had to do a whole series of stretches before I’d go for a run,” she explained. “And it was taking up so much of my day, especially on the weekend when my kids were home. By the time I’d finish my long runs, I’d be useless for the rest of the day.”
Smart said reconnecting with her trainer, Robyn Maher, made her realize she was ready for a new challenge, which turned out to be bodybuilding. “[My body] still carries me through life, and I am so grateful to my body for being where I am today that I want to celebrate it.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
