Elizabeth Smart<\/strong><\/a> is staying strong \u2014 mentally and physically.<\/p>\n The kidnapping survivor, 38, got candid about how entering bodybuilding competitions<\/a> makes her feel empowered during an interview<\/a> with CBS’ Gayle King<\/strong><\/a> on Monday, May 4.<\/p>\n Smart \u2014 who was taken in 2002 at the age of 14 and abducted for nine months<\/a> \u2014 recently placed first in her category at a bodybuilding event in Utah on April 18.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel good. I feel excited,\u201d Smart told the journalist, 71. \u201cI feel almost liberated to a degree because I think for so long I wanted to be taken seriously, I wanted whatever I had to say to matter, I wanted to feel like I was respected.\u201d<\/p>\n After Elizabeth Smart stopped training for marathons, she took up bodybuilding.CBS<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cAnd I also feel like, by doing this and putting this post out there, I feel liberated because I can be more than just one thing,\u201d she went on.<\/p>\n \u201cI can be a bodybuilder<\/a>. I can feel beautiful and s—. And I can still be an advocate for women and children against sexual violence,” the child safety activist continued.<\/p>\n Smart explained how she became interested in bodybuilding, noting she started training after taking a break from marathon running.<\/p>\n The ABC commentator said bodybuilding makes her feel ‘beautiful.’CBS<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cMy knees started hurting a little more, I had to do a whole series of stretches before I\u2019d go for a run,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd it was taking up so much of my day, especially on the weekend when my kids were home. By the time I\u2019d finish my long runs, I\u2019d be useless for the rest of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n The ABC commentator married husband Matthew Gilmour<\/strong> in 2012, and they share kids<\/a>Chlo\u00e9<\/strong>, 11, James<\/strong>, 9, and Olivia<\/strong>, 7.<\/p>\n When Smart’s trainer, Robyn Maher<\/strong>, contacted her, she realized she was ready for a new endeavor.<\/p>\n Elizabeth Smart was ‘terrified’ during her first competition.@elizabeth_smart_official\/Instagram<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n \u201cI\u2019d be lying if I said there wasn\u2019t vanity involved,\u201d she chuckled. \u201cI was like, \u2018I want to look amazing. I need a goal and I need a deadline.\u2019 Otherwise I\u2019d be like, \u2018My diet starts Monday. My diet starts Monday.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n Of her first bodybuilding competition<\/a>, Smart admitted she was “absolutely terrified” over it.<\/p>\n ‘For me doing this, I feel like it has been a celebration of my body,’ Elizabeth Smart said.@elizabeth_smart_official\/Instagram<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n “I grew up always just being so modest. I don\u2019t 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,” Smart confessed.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my line of work, I have met so many victims of sexual abuse and violence<\/a> who feel like their body betrayed them,\u201d she said. “For me doing this, I feel like it has been a celebration of my body because it has carried me through every worst day, every bad experience.”<\/p>\n Read more at OK!<\/a><\/p>\n Get OK!’s biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now<\/a>.<\/p>\n FOLLOW OK! ON WHATSAPP HERE<\/a>: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, entertainment, and pop culture via our WhatsApp channel<\/a>. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Elizabeth Smart Opens Up About Starting Her Bodybuilding Journey<\/h2>\n
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Elizabeth Smart Needed ‘New Goal’ After Stepping Away From Running<\/h2>\n
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