Elizabeth Smart's journey to the bodybuilding stage highlighted her resilience, which is one part of the story. She also raised a wave of internet backlash. Her competitors, however, have refused to stay quiet on the issue.

The 38-year-old American activist recently competed in the Wasatch Warrior fitness competition on April 17 and April 18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Newcomer Lila Cowdell was also a participant. She took a stand for Smart.

“We competed in the same class. I actually had no idea it was her,” Cowdell said. “She held herself very tall, and she's very humble.”

After being kidnapped in 2002 when she was 14, Smart became known nationwide. Smart has said she endured physical, s- - - - -, and emotional abuse throughout the nine months she was held captive before authorities rescued her.

Beating all odds, Smart aced multiple categories, including winning the Fit Model Novice division, which is typically for competitors with limited experience in that type of competition.

She also competed in the Masters 35+ division and finished in third place. But Smart attracted negative attention after posting photos from the fitness competition on social media, where many noticed her dramatic transformation.

“I was frustrated with the backlash she was getting online,” Cowdell told Us Weekly. “She is getting quite a bit of hate and doesn’t deserve to be a victim. This is a sport that people work so hard for, and it takes a lot of discipline and strength.”

Cowdell is not the only one condemning the backlash. Fellow competitor Jimmy Rex, too, praised Smart's resilience.

“People like to make opinions about you, and they've never met you, and I had a handful of haters too," he said.

Amidst the backlash, Smart became a role model.

Elizabeth Smart's Inspiring Journey

Smart refused to allow her past to restrict her. She has played an active role in advocating for child abduction prevention, survivor recovery initiatives, and stronger national legislation.

Through the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, she has promoted efforts such as the National AMBER Alert and the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act to help improve child safety and prevent future abductions.

Sharing her bodybuilding journey online wasn't an easy decision. Smart admitted that she feared judgment and scrutiny on her worth as an activist after this announcement.

But she ended up choosing her own body, and bodybuilding gave her a chance to start things new and love herself.

"A big change for me, it was hard, it pushed me, challenged me not to give up. I am so proud of myself for doing this," Smart said. "I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it."

In this bodybuilding journey, while Smart won prizes, she won support all the way.

Share your thoughts on Smart's bodybuilding journey.

Read more at Bodybuilding Bros.

Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar