Elizabeth Smart<\/b>, a renowned child safety activist, surprised her social media followers on Tuesday, April 21, by sharing her new hobby: <\/span>competitive bodybuilding<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n Smart was only 14 when she made headlines in June 2002 for being <\/span>abducted <\/b>from her Salt Lake City home by a <\/span>knife-wielding figure<\/b> later identified as street preacher <\/span>Brian David Mitchell<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n She was held captive for nine months, during which she endured repeated violations and torments, including being put on a leash and deprived of food.<\/span><\/p>\n Netizens appeared appreciative of Smart\u2019s transformation into a bodybuilder, with one commenting, \u201cShe has gone from strong spirit to strong body.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: Netflix<\/a><\/p>\n Smart participated in the Wasatch Warrior bodybuilding competition in her home city on Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18.<\/span><\/p>\n She bagged first prize in the Fit Model Novice Category. She also took second place in the Fit Model category and ranked third in Fit Model Masters 35+.<\/span><\/p>\n Contestants were judged on symmetry and balance, presentation (aka posing), and muscularity<\/a>, according to division rules from the National Physique Committee.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: mpholsombake<\/a><\/p>\n Smart rocked a navy bikini and clear heels at the competition, pictures from which she shared on Instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n The 38-year-old looked confident as she struck a pose onstage, which highlighted her muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n Smart\u2019s post came with a detailed caption in which she shared that she was initially hesitant about sharing her photos.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: mpholsombake<\/a><\/p>\n \u201c[I was] worried that I would be judged<\/a>, not taken seriously, somehow perceived as less than or now unworthy to continue work as an advocate for all survivors,\u201d she explained.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen it struck me how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are to too many survivors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Smart described becoming a bodybuilder as \u201ca big change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt was hard, it pushed me, challenged me not to give up. I am so proud of myself for doing this. I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it,\u201d she shared.<\/span><\/p>\n Smart also recognized her body for \u201cnurturing<\/a>\u201d her three children \u2014 Chloe, James, and Olivia \u2014 whom she shares with her husband, Matthew Gilmour.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: Getty\/Lois Smart<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSurvivor? Nope. THRIVER and role model,\u201d one said, while another called Smart \u201cBrave Woman.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A third quoted Greek philosopher<\/a>, Epictetus, writing, \u201cIt\u2019s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters,\u201d to praise Smart.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: Getty\/George Frey<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cShe is a perfect example of someone not playing the victim for the rest of her life,\u201d a fourth echoed.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou go, girl! Much love and respect,\u201d the next commented.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf resilience<\/a> were flesh and blood, she\u2019d be it. Keep it up,\u201d a separate user said.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: Netflix<\/a><\/p>\n Netflix\u2019s January 2026 effort <\/span>Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart<\/span><\/i> features narration from Smart, her family, police officers, and key eyewitnesses.<\/span><\/p>\n After Smart\u2019s disappearance, her mother Lois, father Ed, and uncle Tom became the immediate suspects.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey looked like a happy, normal family, but statistically<\/a>, more often than not, the perpetrators of this type of crime are a parent or a family member,\u201d Cory Lyman, a lead investigator on the case, said in the documentary.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: elizabeth_smart_official<\/a><\/p>\n The police interviewed Ed and suspected him of lying, which \u201coverwhelmed\u201d him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t stop shaking. I had absolutely nothing to do with this,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Ed was so traumatized that he had to spend a night in the psychiatric ward<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: elizabeth_smart_official<\/a><\/p>\n Tom, Ed\u2019s brother, drew suspicion for allegedly sympathizing with the kidnapper by calling the case \u201ca wonderful story in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Smart\u2019s younger sister, Mary Katherine, was the only witness to the crime.<\/span><\/p>\n She was 9 when Mitchell broke into their house.<\/span><\/p>\n Mary pretended to be asleep during the incident, which she justified by saying \u201cit was a lot\u201d for her to take at such a young age.<\/span><\/p>\n Image credits: mpholsombake<\/a><\/p>\n Mitchell, according to Smart, led her through the backyard to a trail that ended at a camp in the woods.<\/span><\/p>\n There she was greeted by his partner, Barzee.<\/span><\/p>\n Smart was found on March 12, 2003, when a witness helped authorities arrest her captors in Sandy, Utah<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nElizabeth Smart showed off her toned physique in a new social media post<\/b><\/h3>\n
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Fans wished Elizabeth Smart success in her new endeavor<\/b><\/h3>\n
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A documentary chronicling Smart\u2019s abduction ordeal was recently released<\/b><\/h3>\n
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