Elizabeth Smart is continuing to take back her power after being abducted as a teen — but her latest source of self-love may seem a bit unconventional to some.
Smart, 38, showed off her chiseled abs and bikini body in honor of her new passion for body building via Instagram on Tuesday, April 21. The photo surprised some of Smart’s social media followers, but the survivor is no longer worried about the criticism.
“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 wrote via Instagram, noting that although the toned bikini snap is from her fourth competition, she was “too afraid to post it before.”
The Detours author confessed she was “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.”
Smart noted that all of a sudden it “struck” her “how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are for too many survivors.”
After that ah-ha moment, Smart decided to post the competition photo — which shows off her abs, lean arms and muscular legs in a bathing suit while posing for the judges — as a way to fight back against the online noise.
“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,” Smart explained. “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.”
She noted that she doesn’t want to “look back and feel regret for only living a half-life, not going after all that I want to do and try” out of fear.
When it comes to why she chose bodybuilding, Smart told her followers the difficulty level played a big part.
“This was a big change for me, it was hard, it pushed me, challenged me not to give up,” she wrote. “I am so proud of myself for doing this. I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it.”
Smart pointed out that her body has “carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience” as well as the creation and nurturing of her 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 continued. “I refuse to feel embarrassed about trying something new and am embracing my chance at life to the absolute fullest I can. I only hope that we all find the courage to chase new experiences, goals, bettering ourselves, and most importantly happiness.”
Smart’s bodybuilding venture is her latest way to live life to the fullest since she was kidnapped from her bedroom in June 2002 when she was 14 years old. After a little more than nine months of captivity, during which time she was subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse, police rescued Smart in March 2003.
She has since become an advocate for survivors, told her story publicly in two books and opened up about the horror she endured in Netflix’s 2026 documentary Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart.
“I want survivors to know it’s not their fault,” Smart told People in January. “They don’t need to be embarrassed and they don’t need to carry this burden. They shouldn’t carry it at all, but if they are going to carry it, they’re not alone.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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