Elizabeth Smart Wins 1st Place in Utah Bodybuilding Contest, Publicly Sharing a 4-Competition Journey
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 29
Elizabeth Smart Wins 1st Place in Utah Bodybuilding Contest, Publicly Sharing a 4-Competition Journey
5 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 29
April brought Elizabeth Smart, 38, a first-place finish in her category at the Wasatch Warrior bodybuilding competition in Salt Lake City, a result she had kept private while competing under her married name, Elizabeth Gilmour.
A friend's request to post the win pushed Smart to explain why she had hidden bodybuilding: she feared judgment, loss of credibility and distraction from her survivor advocacy work.
Smart said that fear echoed the scrutiny many victims face, and that publicly showing her body and training became part of her healing rather than something to be ashamed of.
The contest was her fourth, after shifting from marathon running to strength training for stronger bones and more muscle; she said lifting also fit her life better, with workouts taking about 45 minutes.
Best known for surviving her 2002 kidnapping at age 14 and later founding the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, Smart said the reveal was also about being seen as more than a single public label.
How has Elizabeth Smart’s bodybuilding journey changed public perceptions of trauma recovery and survivor identity?
Can strength training like bodybuilding truly help trauma survivors heal, or does it risk reinforcing new pressures and expectations?