Overview
- Smart, 38, told CBS Mornings on Monday that competing in her fourth show last month brought a first‑place finish in her category.
- She said her first contest felt “terrifying” as she stepped on stage in a bikini, but she now describes the sport as “liberating.”
- Smart frames the training as a celebration of a body that carried her through trauma and childbirth, saying she can feel sexy and still champion survivors.
- She began lifting after knee pain from marathon running and, with coach Robyn Maher, set a clear goal that led her to compete and keep training.
- She had kept earlier contests private and revealed on April 21 that fear of being judged held her back, while Monday’s interview drew online criticism of Gayle King’s intimate questions as reported by outlets covering viewer reactions.