Elizabeth Smart has opened up about an onstage blunder during her first bodybuilding competition, where her costume jewellery ring became entangled in her blonde hair extensions. The 38-year-old activist and kidnapping survivor told NPR that she ended up ripping through the extension and removing a chunk of her hair before turning around and smiling.
Smart admitted she wanted to run offstage after the mishap but continued posing in her high heels. Since then, she has competed in four events and won several medals. She said: 'I'm at a point in my life where I want to celebrate it. I don't want to carry shame about my body.'
Smart, who was kidnapped at knifepoint from her Salt Lake City home in 2002 at age 14, endured nine months of captivity and repeated sexual assault before being rescued in 2003. Her abductors, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, were convicted; Mitchell is serving life without parole, and Barzee was released in 2018 after 15 years.
Smart previously explained that her trauma inspired her to take pride in her body and start bodybuilding. In May, she said: 'My body has carried me through every worst day... I refuse to be ashamed of it.' She added that she hopes others find courage to chase new experiences and happiness.
Smart, who founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation in 2011 to combat sexual violence, told NPR: 'I can be an advocate for women and children. But I also can step on stage in a bikini and strut around and strike a pose. And that's OK.'
