Elizabeth Smart discusses terrifying bodybuilding debut and celebrates her body

6 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · May 4

The 38-year-old told Gayle King on CBS Mornings on 4 May that knee problems ended marathon training and led her to take up bodybuilding.
Smart said appearing on stage in a bikini at her first competition felt deeply vulnerable, but the experience became a gratifying celebration of strength after trauma.
The child safety advocate, abducted from her Utah home in 2002 and held for nine months, said bodybuilding has helped her feel liberated, proud and more than one thing.

How did a sport based on public judgment become Elizabeth Smart’s ultimate act of personal liberation?

Beyond personal healing, how might Elizabeth Smart’s journey reshape public perceptions of trauma recovery?