Elizabeth Smart reveals 'shock' bodybuilding transformation

Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAYWed, April 22, 2026 at 12:06 PM UTC

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Elizabeth Smart has been making gains.

The child safety advocate and former child abduction victim revealed in an Instagram photo posted Tuesday, April 21, that she has begun competing in bodybuilding competitions.

Smart acknowledged the shocking transformation in her caption.

"When I posted the pictures in my story of me standing on stage in a bikini it probably shocked many of you, and I understand the shock because had you asked me if I would ever compete in a bodybuilding show a couple of years ago I would have said, 'absolutely not! Never in 100 years!'" Smart, 38, wrote.

Smart, who said she just competed in her fourth competition, said she was nervous to share for fear of being judged or not being taken seriously as an advocate.

"This past weekend it struck me how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are for too many survivors," she added. "We are more than just one topic, one idea, one label."

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She continued to celebrate the transformation of her body, which 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."

Elizabeth Smart, producer "Elizabeth Smart: Autobiography," attends the 43nd Annual Gracie Awards, May 22, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California.

Smart's kidnapping case is one of the most publicized in American history. At 14, she was abducted from her Salt Lake City, Utah, home in June 2002. She spent nine "harrowing" months in captivity, where she was sexually abused by Brian David Mitchell – a man her family previously hired to do "odd jobs" – before she was rescued. Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, his then-wife and accomplice, were captured by law enforcement shortly after.

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Mitchell was found guilty of kidnapping and transporting a minor across state lines "with intent to engage in sexual activity." He is currently serving a life sentence in prison. Barzee pleaded guilty in 2009 but was released in 2018. Barzee was arrested again in 2025 after visiting multiple parks, which is a violation of her status as a sex offender.

Elizabeth Smart attends the Lifetime and NeueHouse Women's Forum screening of "I Am Elizabeth Smart" at NeueHouse Madison Square on Nov. 13, 2017, in New York City.

Since her rescue, Elizabeth Smart has worked as a child safety activist, created the Elizabeth Smart Foundation and written about her experience. She lives in Utah with her husband and three children.

"I only hope that we all find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves, and most importantly happiness," she wrote.

Contributing: Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Elizabeth Smart reveals bodybuilding transformation

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