Elizabeth Smart, Kidnapping Survivor and Advocate, Is Now a BODYBUILDER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6U4hV1S-_8

Elizabeth Smart says she was initially shocked by the bodybuilding turn in her life, because it was so far from what she imagined for herself a few years ago. But after quietly training and competing, she says the journey became about reclaiming strength, confidence, and control after trauma, not just about physique.

What she said

Smart wrote that she understands why people were surprised, since she once would have said “absolutely not” to bodybuilding. She also said she is proud of the work she has done and refuses to feel ashamed of this new chapter.

Why it hit her differently

Her fitness path seems to have grown out of a longer relationship with exercise, starting with running after the birth of her first child in 2015. Over time, that progress led to bodybuilding competitions, where she recently placed first in a novice category and earned additional placements in other divisions.

The bigger picture

For Smart, the shift is part of a broader healing story: after surviving kidnapping as a teen, she has spent years advocating for others and now appears to be using fitness as another form of empowerment. The surprise is mostly public perception; for her, it seems to be a private evolution that became visible all at once.