\n<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Smart was only 14-years-old when she was abducted at knifepoint from her bedroom<\/a> in Salt Lake City, Utah, and sexually assaulted by a street preacher and his wife.<\/p>\nA year after her disappearance, Smart safely returned home. But the traumatizing wounds remained. <\/p>\nSince her horrifying experience, the now 38-year-old has become a child safety activist, has launched a program teaching women self-defense skills \u2014 and more recently shed light on the healing potential of weightlifting after she won first place<\/a> at a bodybuilding competition in April.<\/p>\n\u201cMy body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish, grueling experience; it\u2019s 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,\u201d Smart wrote in an Instagram post<\/a> celebrating her bodybuilding successes.<\/p>\nElizabeth Smart, 38, is now a child safety activist who just won first place in a bodybuilding competition. FOX Image Collection via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThis was a big change for me, it 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 added.<\/p>\nThe activist received an outpouring of support from her hundreds of thousands of followers, many of whom are fellow survivors, calling her a role model and admiring her \u201ccourage, determination and work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\nSmart brought light to the healing potential of weightlifting when she won first place at a bodybuilding competition in April. National Physique Committee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTaylor Ann Pappas<\/a> is one of them.<\/p>\nDuring a recent lifting session at the gym, the South Florida run coach couldn\u2019t help but notice a random man re-racking her weights \u2014\u00a0before she\u2019d completed her set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201c2017 Taylor would have been like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just go get a new plate,\u2019 Pappas recounted. \u201c2026 Taylor was like \u2014 \u2018Bro, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nThe 37-year-old told The Post that she wasn\u2019t always so sure of her place or power \u2014 describing the version of herself from almost a decade ago as \u201cmeek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDespite achieving much success in her career \u2014 she holds a master\u2019s degree in education and is now a full-time running and lifting coach \u2014 she neither recognized nor valued who she was.<\/p>\nFor trauma survivor Taylor Ann Pappas, weightlifting has transformed the way she sees herself \u2014\u00a0and the space she takes up in the world. Andrew Gallinaro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
A year after her disappearance, Smart safely returned home. But the traumatizing wounds remained. <\/p>\n
Since her horrifying experience, the now 38-year-old has become a child safety activist, has launched a program teaching women self-defense skills \u2014 and more recently shed light on the healing potential of weightlifting after she won first place<\/a> at a bodybuilding competition in April.<\/p>\n\u201cMy body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish, grueling experience; it\u2019s 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,\u201d Smart wrote in an Instagram post<\/a> celebrating her bodybuilding successes.<\/p>\nElizabeth Smart, 38, is now a child safety activist who just won first place in a bodybuilding competition. FOX Image Collection via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThis was a big change for me, it 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 added.<\/p>\nThe activist received an outpouring of support from her hundreds of thousands of followers, many of whom are fellow survivors, calling her a role model and admiring her \u201ccourage, determination and work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\nSmart brought light to the healing potential of weightlifting when she won first place at a bodybuilding competition in April. National Physique Committee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTaylor Ann Pappas<\/a> is one of them.<\/p>\nDuring a recent lifting session at the gym, the South Florida run coach couldn\u2019t help but notice a random man re-racking her weights \u2014\u00a0before she\u2019d completed her set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201c2017 Taylor would have been like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just go get a new plate,\u2019 Pappas recounted. \u201c2026 Taylor was like \u2014 \u2018Bro, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nThe 37-year-old told The Post that she wasn\u2019t always so sure of her place or power \u2014 describing the version of herself from almost a decade ago as \u201cmeek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDespite achieving much success in her career \u2014 she holds a master\u2019s degree in education and is now a full-time running and lifting coach \u2014 she neither recognized nor valued who she was.<\/p>\nFor trauma survivor Taylor Ann Pappas, weightlifting has transformed the way she sees herself \u2014\u00a0and the space she takes up in the world. Andrew Gallinaro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish, grueling experience; it\u2019s 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,\u201d Smart wrote in an Instagram post<\/a> celebrating her bodybuilding successes.<\/p>\nElizabeth Smart, 38, is now a child safety activist who just won first place in a bodybuilding competition. FOX Image Collection via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThis was a big change for me, it 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 added.<\/p>\nThe activist received an outpouring of support from her hundreds of thousands of followers, many of whom are fellow survivors, calling her a role model and admiring her \u201ccourage, determination and work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\nSmart brought light to the healing potential of weightlifting when she won first place at a bodybuilding competition in April. National Physique Committee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTaylor Ann Pappas<\/a> is one of them.<\/p>\nDuring a recent lifting session at the gym, the South Florida run coach couldn\u2019t help but notice a random man re-racking her weights \u2014\u00a0before she\u2019d completed her set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201c2017 Taylor would have been like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just go get a new plate,\u2019 Pappas recounted. \u201c2026 Taylor was like \u2014 \u2018Bro, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nThe 37-year-old told The Post that she wasn\u2019t always so sure of her place or power \u2014 describing the version of herself from almost a decade ago as \u201cmeek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDespite achieving much success in her career \u2014 she holds a master\u2019s degree in education and is now a full-time running and lifting coach \u2014 she neither recognized nor valued who she was.<\/p>\nFor trauma survivor Taylor Ann Pappas, weightlifting has transformed the way she sees herself \u2014\u00a0and the space she takes up in the world. Andrew Gallinaro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was a big change for me, it 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 added.<\/p>\n
The activist received an outpouring of support from her hundreds of thousands of followers, many of whom are fellow survivors, calling her a role model and admiring her \u201ccourage, determination and work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\nSmart brought light to the healing potential of weightlifting when she won first place at a bodybuilding competition in April. National Physique Committee<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTaylor Ann Pappas<\/a> is one of them.<\/p>\nDuring a recent lifting session at the gym, the South Florida run coach couldn\u2019t help but notice a random man re-racking her weights \u2014\u00a0before she\u2019d completed her set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201c2017 Taylor would have been like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just go get a new plate,\u2019 Pappas recounted. \u201c2026 Taylor was like \u2014 \u2018Bro, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nThe 37-year-old told The Post that she wasn\u2019t always so sure of her place or power \u2014 describing the version of herself from almost a decade ago as \u201cmeek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDespite achieving much success in her career \u2014 she holds a master\u2019s degree in education and is now a full-time running and lifting coach \u2014 she neither recognized nor valued who she was.<\/p>\nFor trauma survivor Taylor Ann Pappas, weightlifting has transformed the way she sees herself \u2014\u00a0and the space she takes up in the world. Andrew Gallinaro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
Taylor Ann Pappas<\/a> is one of them.<\/p>\nDuring a recent lifting session at the gym, the South Florida run coach couldn\u2019t help but notice a random man re-racking her weights \u2014\u00a0before she\u2019d completed her set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\u201c2017 Taylor would have been like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just go get a new plate,\u2019 Pappas recounted. \u201c2026 Taylor was like \u2014 \u2018Bro, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\nThe 37-year-old told The Post that she wasn\u2019t always so sure of her place or power \u2014 describing the version of herself from almost a decade ago as \u201cmeek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nDespite achieving much success in her career \u2014 she holds a master\u2019s degree in education and is now a full-time running and lifting coach \u2014 she neither recognized nor valued who she was.<\/p>\nFor trauma survivor Taylor Ann Pappas, weightlifting has transformed the way she sees herself \u2014\u00a0and the space she takes up in the world. Andrew Gallinaro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
During a recent lifting session at the gym, the South Florida run coach couldn\u2019t help but notice a random man re-racking her weights \u2014\u00a0before she\u2019d completed her set.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c2017 Taylor would have been like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019ll just go get a new plate,\u2019 Pappas recounted. \u201c2026 Taylor was like \u2014 \u2018Bro, what are you doing?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The 37-year-old told The Post that she wasn\u2019t always so sure of her place or power \u2014 describing the version of herself from almost a decade ago as \u201cmeek.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite achieving much success in her career \u2014 she holds a master\u2019s degree in education and is now a full-time running and lifting coach \u2014 she neither recognized nor valued who she was.<\/p>\nFor trauma survivor Taylor Ann Pappas, weightlifting has transformed the way she sees herself \u2014\u00a0and the space she takes up in the world. Andrew Gallinaro<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hated myself,\u201d she said. \u201cI hated what I looked like. I hated my height. I hated <\/em>my waist. I hated my boobs. I hated my butt.\u201d<\/p>\nA survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n
A survivor of sexual assault, Pappas confessed she\u2019d felt disappointment in her body \u2014\u00a0and a disconnection from it \u2014\u00a0for the majority of her life, similar to Smart.<\/p>\n