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Survivor and victim advocate Elizabeth Smart<\/a> announced her transition into competitive bodybuilding<\/a> on April 21, 2026, to celebrate her body\u2019s strength and resilience decades after her 2002 kidnapping. The 38-year-old mother of three shared her progress through social media to challenge limited perceptions of survivors.<\/p>\n Smart, who was rescued in 2003 after being abducted from her Salt Lake City home, revealed that her recent public post followed a series of private achievements in the fitness<\/a> industry. She noted that she had previously kept this aspect of her life hidden due to concerns about her professional image.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “This is actually the fourth competition I’ve done, but I was too afraid to post it before,” wrote Smart in a social media caption. “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.”<\/p>\n