{"id":28788,"date":"2026-09-08T23:41:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T23:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=28788"},"modified":"2026-09-08T23:41:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T23:41:34","slug":"kidnapping-survivor-elizabeth-smart-shows-off-bodybuilding-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldbodybuildingnews.com\/?p=28788","title":{"rendered":"Kidnapping Survivor Elizabeth Smart Shows Off Bodybuilding Transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Nearly 25 years after her highly publicized kidnapping, the victim-turned-advocate is now a competitive bodybuilder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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FOX\/FOX Image Collection via Getty I<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n

Elizabeth Smart<\/a> showed off her confidence, charisma, and jaw-dropping physical transformation on a competition stage 24 years after being kidnapped from her bedroom.<\/p>\n

In an Instagram<\/a> post shared on September 5, Smart said she was proud of the progress she had made since her previous competitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother show for the books! Had such a blast,\u201d she captioned the video, in which she poses in a blue bikini and clear heels. \u201cI\u2019ve always said \u2018just stepping on stage is a win for me!\u2019 And I completely stand by that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old child safety activist<\/a> first revealed she had started competing in bodybuilding contests<\/a> in April.<\/p>\n

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Elizabeth Smart and her father, Ed Smart, pictured visiting the White House in 2003. During the visit, former U.S. President George W. Bush signed new child safety measures into law.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

On June 5, 2002, Smart was abducted at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City bedroom by Brian David Mitchell. The then 14-year-old was held captive by Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, for nine months before being rescued and reunited with her family on March 12, 2003. <\/p>\n

In September, Smart competed at the North American Championships in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She entered two classes: Masters 35+, open to competitors 35 and older, and Open Class D, a height-based category. <\/p>\n