A young girl once taken from her family at 14 is stepping back into public view nearly 25 years later, and her story is hard to ignore.
Back in 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her home in Salt Lake City.
The case gripped the country as the search stretched on for nearly a year and her name became impossible to ignore. New images of her transformation since then are making the rounds, stopping folks cold online.
Smart, now 38-year-old is embarking on a new chapter after finding strength in her past.
She became a child safety advocate and partnered to raise awareness and help other children with the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center.
On Tuesday, April 21, Smart took to Instagram to share new photos and update fans about her new hobby.
One image shows her in a blue bikini and clear heels, posing on stage at a bodybuilding competition. Her bronze-toned skin and more sculpted frame reflect months of training, strict dieting, and posing.
Competitors intentionally darken their skin with tanning products so stage lights sharpen muscle definition and make every detail stand out.
“When I posted the pictures in my story of me standing on stage in a bikini, it probably shocked many of you,” Smart wrote in her caption.
“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!’”
Never thought I’d see Elizabeth Smart in bodybuilding mode, but here we are. pic.twitter.com/lV0oa2G2YG
— Arthur🇳🇬🇬🇧🇸🇳 (@AjMachalaa) April 22, 2026
The photos captured her at the Wasatch Warrior bodybuilding and fitness competition in Salt Lake City on April 17 and 18.
She said it marked her fourth competition but admitted she had been too scared to share it online before.
She explained 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. Then this past weekend it struck me how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are for too many survivors.”
Smart continued by. adding that she didn’t want to be labeled as just one thing. Additionally she doesn’t want to look back at her life and regret not doing things she wanted to.
“This was a big change for me, it was hard,” she stressed. “It pushed me, challenged me not to give up. I am so proud of myself for doing this. I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it.
She said her body carried her through her hardest moments and helped her raise three children with her husband.
Smart refuses to feel ashamed or embarrassed about her past. She said she’s embracing life fully and hopes others find the courage to grow and chase happiness.
She placed first in the Fit Model Novice category, second in the Fit Model category, and third in the Fit Model Masters 35+.
Fans sang her praises in the comments on People. One person said, “Wow! Doesn’t even look like her! If it makes her happy, then hope she gets to do it for a long time.”
Another said, “Gorgeous, what a lady, after what she went through.” A third supporter typed, “We already knew she was strong now she has the pic to prove it!”
A fourth person added, “WOW WOW WOW!! You go girl.”
Kidnappers held Smart for nine months until she was rescued by police in March 2003. She was assaulted daily and starved. Her heartbreaking story stayed with many and resurfaced again with the release of “Kidnapped: Elizabeth Smart” in January.
She has stepped into the public eye with a level of strength and composure few expected, turning unimaginable trauma into advocacy and visibility.
Smart is also the author of two books, one called “My Story,” which she wrote in 2013, and the other, which she wrote last year, is called “Where There’s Hope.” Smart has also executive-produced several TV movies and documentaries regarding child abduction.
She is the wife of Scottish business owner Matthew Gilmour. They’ve been married since 2012 and share three children: Chloé, 11, James, 9, and Olivia, 6.
