Elizabeth Smart, the activist and survivor of a harrowing 2002 kidnapping, has taken up bodybuilding—and she just won first place in her skill level at the Wasatch Warrior competition in Salt Lake City on April 18. The 38-year-old mother of three shared the news on Instagram on April 22, along with a photo from the event.
Smart admitted she was hesitant to post about her new passion. "I was too afraid to post it before," she wrote. "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 noted that these feelings are "eerily familiar" to many survivors.
"We are more than just one topic, one idea, one label," Smart continued. "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." She added that bodybuilding makes her feel better: "My body has carried me through every worst day... it's created and nurtured three beautiful children. My body has risen to every challenge, so I refuse to be ashamed of it."
Smart was kidnapped from her bedroom at age 14 and held captive for nine months by Brian David Mitchell, now serving life in prison. After his trial ended in 2011, she decided to live fearlessly and became an advocate. "I felt like, if all of this information was going to be out there, I wanted it to serve a purpose," she told CNN earlier this year.