Share and Follow
Elizabeth Smart, known for her resilience and advocacy, has unveiled a surprising new chapter in her life. Over two decades after enduring a traumatic abduction, she has now captivated her followers with photos from her latest venture: bodybuilding competitions.
At 38, Smart has not only embraced this challenging sport but has also excelled, clinching victories in various contests. She recently shared striking images on Instagram, dressed in a navy bikini and heels, proudly displaying her achievements on stage.
These images were taken during her fourth competition, which took place over the weekend in Salt Lake City. Her decision to reveal this side of her life took many by surprise, as she acknowledged in her Instagram post. “When I shared the pictures of me on stage, I know it shocked many of you,” she wrote. “Just a couple of years ago, if you had asked me if I would compete in a bodybuilding show, I would have said, ‘Absolutely not! Never in a hundred years!’”
Smart, a mother of three, had kept her involvement in bodybuilding under wraps, concerned about how it might be received. Now, by sharing her journey, she continues to inspire those who follow her story, showing once again that she is much more than her past.
The mother of three said she had kept her involvement in the sport private until now, admitting she feared how it might be perceived.
‘This is actually the fourth competition I’ve done, but I was too afraid to post it before. 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,’ she explained.
Smart said the realization that those fears mirrored what many survivors experience pushed her to finally go public.
‘Then this past weekend it struck me how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are for too many survivors,’ she wrote.
Smart said the realization that those fears mirrored what many survivors experience pushed her to finally go public. She is pictured here in June 2025
Her transformation has been both physical and deeply personal.
‘This was a big change for me, it was hard, it pushed me, challenged me not to give up,’ she shared. ‘I am so proud of myself for doing this. I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it.’
She added that her body represents survival – not just strength.
‘My body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience, it’s 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,’ she wrote.
‘I refuse to feel embarrassed about trying something new and am embracing my chance at life to the absolute fullest I can.’
Smart also reflected on how her perspective has evolved over time, saying she no longer wants to be defined by a single identity.
‘I think it’s easy to be labeled as one thing, and honestly, that’s not me nor do I think it’s any of us we are more than just one topic, one idea, one label,’ she wrote.
Elizabeth Smart, 38, revealed she has been competing in bodybuilding competitions and recently shared photos from her fourth event
Smart is pictured with her husband and their three children last fall
Smart is seen above as a child before she was abducted from her home in June 2002
Elizabeth Smart’s picture was on missing posters all across the country following her June 2002 kidnapping
‘I am interested in many things, and as I get older I realize more and more how important it is to make the most of today, we don’t know what tomorrow brings.’
‘And I don’t want to reach the end of my life and look back and feel regret for only living a half-life, not going after all the things I want to do and try.’
The competition, the Wasatch Warrior event in Salt Lake City, marked another milestone in her journey.Â
Smart placed first in the novice category, third in the Masters 35+ division and second in Class D.
Smart was just 14 years old when she was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City in June 2002. She was held captive for nine months before being rescued in March 2003.
In the years since, she has become one of the most prominent advocates for child safety and survivors of sexual violence, founding the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and speaking publicly about her experiences.
Smart is now happily married and the mother of three children Chloé, now 10, James, 8, and Olivia, 6
Elizabeth Smart (seen age 14) managed to orchestrate her own rescue by convincing her abductors to return to Utah
She revisited her case earlier this year in the Netflix documentary ‘Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart.’
Now married to Matthew Gilmour, whom she wed in 2012, Smart is also a mother to three children РChlo̩, James and Olivia Рand says her latest pursuit is about fully embracing life.
‘I only hope that we all find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves, and most importantly happiness,’ she wrote.