Elizabeth Smart is proving she’s stronger and more confident than ever. On Saturday, September 5, the best-selling author posted a video from her latest bodybuilding competition, and her followers flooded her with compliments.
In June 2002, Smart became a household name when she was kidnapped at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City bedroom at age 14. She remained missing for nine months, until rescuers miraculously located her in March 2003. As an adult, she has become an advocate for survivors of sexual assault through her Elizabeth Smart Foundation and topped The New York Times best-seller list with her 2013 book, My Story.
More recently, Smart worked with Netflix on the documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart, released in January, and has surprised many by dedicating herself to bodybuilding, even winning her first competition in April.
Smart had a “blast” at her latest competition, but did not rank as well, admitting in her post that she “placed at the bottom” of both classes she competed in: Masters 35+ (she’s now 38) and Open Class D, which she said is “height-based.”
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“Regardless where I placed, I loved the whole experience,” Smart wrote in the caption of her post, praising her coach and best friend, whom she called “the best support squad in the audience I could ask for.”
“I brought a better physique and stage presence than at my previous shows,” Smart noted, “and I’m so proud of myself for the hard work, discipline, and bravery it takes me to compete. So here’s to pursuing goals and not giving up!”
Elizabeth Smart Is Flooded With Compliments & Gratitude From Followers
Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images
Smart’s post wowed and inspired many on social media, with an outpouring of love showing up in her comment section.
“Elizabeth, I am actually crying,” one person wrote. “I was already a mother of two when you were abducted. I worried and prayed, along with your family and the whole country. Rejoiced when you were found!! But to see you now, well-adjusted, thriving, helping and teaching others, and NOW THIS! To see you fully owning and celebrating your strong, healthy body is so wonderful! You are showing me that people really can overcome abuse and learn to thrive! 🍀💐💞🏋🏼♀️🏋🏼♀️🏋🏼♀️”
Someone else credited Smart with helping her heal from her own trauma, writing, “I just did my second show a few weeks ago, and I owe that to you. You are a powerhouse of inspiration for survivors. My body got me through a shooting and I decided, instead of giving up, I’d celebrate being alive. 💙🙏”
Many also highlighted how strong and healthy Smart looks, including one who gushed, “I have to say (with full honesty) that out of all body builders I’ve seen, you look the best. Seriously. Beautiful. Not overdone. Stunning.”
Before Smart’s documentary premiered on Netflix, she wrote on social media that her goal was to help ensure that other survivors “don’t have to be ashamed of what happened to them,” and that others might “gain compassion and understanding for other families who are going through this.”
She concluded, “I also hope it brings comfort that there are happy endings — and that even after terrible things happen, you can still have a wonderful life.”