Elizabeth Smart's Trainer Says She Underwent a ‘Transformation’ While Preparing for Bodybuilding Competition: ‘It’s a Journey’

Cara Lynn ShultzThu, April 23, 2026 at 7:35 PM UTC

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Elizabeth Smart took first place in her category in her fourth bodybuilding competitionCredit: Robyn Maher/Instagram -

Elizabeth Smart competed in bodybuilding competitions under her married name and won multiple awards at her latest event

Her trainer, Robyn Maher, revealed to Extra TV that Smart followed a strict meal plan and weight-trained up to six days a week

Smart shared her journey to inspire others and celebrate her body's resilience after surviving trauma and hardship

Elizabeth Smart's trainer, Robyn Maher, is shedding light on how the child safety advocate quietly became an award-winning bodybuilder in just one year.

Smart, 38, shocked fans by sharing a photo to Instagram of herself competing at the Wasatch Warrior bodybuilding and fitness competition, which took place from April 17 to 18 in Salt Lake City, Utah. But as Maher told Extra TV, it was Smart's second time competing at Wasatch Warrior, having previously taken the stage a year ago.

"She wasn't looking for any attention. Just wanted to do it for herself and set that goal," Maher told the outlet, sharing that she competed under her married name (Smart wed husband Matthew Gilmour in 2012).

"And we were super excited. She made great progress with her physique, and she kind of caught the bug a little bit," Maher said. "She said, ‘I think I want to do this again, like, I've seen what I've accomplished. I feel stronger.' "

Elizabeth Smart's trainer, Robyn Maher, says she's "super proud" of the advocateCredit: Robyn Maher/Instagram

That's when they set "new goals," Maher shared, explaining that Smart competed two more times — including on a national level — before returning to the Salt Lake City event.

Although she quipped, "I keep calling her fitness Barbie" because "she's gorgeous," Maher said that the advocate and author is a formidable competitor. “Her legs are super strong. She's run all these marathons. That woman can squat a lot of weight, you know."

She followed a healthy meal plan while weight training up to six days a week, Maher said.

During her most recent competition, Smart took home first place in the Fit Model Novice Category, second place in the Fit Model category and ranked third in Fit Model Masters 35+.

In her previous competitions, Smart didn't win, but as Maher told Extra, "It's a journey. She's improved. She's gone through a transformation. And, you know, she didn't get any top award just because she's Elizabeth Smart. Like, it was fair and square."

When Smart originally announced her new bodybuilding journey, she wrote on Instagram that she was "too afraid to post it before. 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."

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Elizabeth Smart joins other competitors at a bodybuilding competitionCredit: Mackenzie Paralee Holsombake/Instagram

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During her nine-month-long abduction at age 14, Smart was subjected to daily rapes and endured physical abuse and starvation. She was reunited with her family in March 2003, after she was found by authorities while walking the streets of Utah. She's now a champion for children's safety.

In reflecting on her concerns about sharing her bodybuilding success, Smart wrote, "It struck me how eerily familiar these feelings and thoughts are for too many survivors. I think it's easy to be labeled as one thing, and honestly, that's not me nor do I think it's any of us we are more than just one topic, one idea, one label … I am so proud of my body, and I want to celebrate it."

She continued, "My body has carried me through every worst day, every hellish grueling experience, it's created and nurtured three beautiful children, my body has risen to every single challenge life has presented it with, and carried me through so I refuse to be ashamed of it."

Elizabeth Smart appears on 'America's Most Wanted' as part of her work as a child safety advocateCredit: FOX via Getty

Maher told Extra TV that Smart's comments made her “super proud.”

“She decided on her own, ‘I really want to speak out about this.' You know, she feels really proud of it… She felt like this is nothing to be ashamed of. 'My body's done amazing things for me, and this is just one more way that I can, you know, set goals, accomplish something, be an example to other women,' ” Maher said.

It was Smart's comment "about my body has taken me through so many hard things," Maher said, that made her emotional: "Tears came to my eyes.”

"I just love that she had the strength and the courage to come out and say, I''m not going to accept that. Like, I'm not going to let you embarrass me over this. This is something I'm proud of, and I mean how poignant that is,' ” Maher said. "The great support that she's gotten. I mean, every single comment, every single person that that highlights how hard she's worked and how much she deserves to, like, get stronger and to be a good example for women.”

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”