Cleo Smith has been hailed as a future Australian Olympian, less than three years since her abduction sparked one of the nations biggest search efforts.
Cleo was just four-years-old when she made international headlines after she was snatched from her sleeping bag as she slept alongside baby sister inside a tent while holidaying with her mum and stepdad at the Blowholes camping site in Western Australias Gascoyne region, about 10 hours drive north of Perth on October 16, 2021.
Police and rescue personnel, aided by horses, helicopters and drones, spent nearly three weeks scouring the western Australian scrub during mammoth operation.
Hope was fading as the days went on where experts feared young Cleo was dead.
But 18 days after she went missing, police found Cleo in the home of Terrence Darrell Kelly in Carnarvon, minutes away from her own family home.
Almost four years on from the horrific kidnapping and intense media scrutiny, Cleo, now 7, has made significant adjustments and appears to be living a happy and normal life.
Her mum Ellie Gliddon shared her daughters most recent achievement, revealing her daughter had won her first gymnastics competition.
The snaps, posted by 60 Minutes on Facebook, showed the seven-year-old showing off her gold medal, a certificate and numerous ribbons.
Cleo Smith has won gold in her first gymnastics competition, nearly three years since her abduction
Cleos mother, Ellie, feared the worrisome abduction would strip Cleo of her childhood
The photos were met with joy and plaudits from commenters.
Many were glad Cleo had been able to live a normal childhood after the horrific abduction.
I think the whole of Australia is behind you Cleo! Well done, one woman wrote:
Another added: Bless her little heart! Her whole family are the epitome of resilience, another woman said.
The update come just two months after the family shared a collection of photos of beaming Cleo enjoying life with her family.
The happy snaps included a family fishing trip, Cleos seventh birthday, playing with her little sister Isla and the sisters first day at school earlier this year.
Cleo Smith, all grown up. The seven-year-old is enjoying life in Western Australia, loving school and being a big sister to Isla, 60 Minutes captioned the heartwarming photos in July.
A beaming Cleo proudly showed off her gold medal and ribbons
Cleos family previously revealed just how tough it was for the then-four-year-old to readjust to life after the kidnapping.
Ms Smith told Channel Nine after the ordeal that Cleo had been stripped of her ability to be a child.
The first week (after Cleo returned home) it was probably the worst. We had to have all the doors open and all the lights on just for her to go to sleep, and even then, she would wake up screaming, Ms Smith said at the time.
Nightmare after nightmare, after being through the nightmare.
In the weeks she was kidnapped, Cleo was held captive in a bedroom with just a mattress on the floor in Kellys state housing duplex in Carnarvon.
Kelly left Cleo in the house alone for hours at a time while he attended other errands, turning up the radio in the bathroom to drown out her crying when hed return.
Police smashed down the locked door of Kellys home in Carnarvon - just 3km from her familys home - at 12.46am on November 3, 2021, freeing the little girl.
Then-four-year-old Cleo was held captive in Terrence Darrell Kellys state housing for 18 days
They found her in a bedroom playing with toys, and had to ask her name three times before she finally replied: M-my name is Cleo, in a statement broadcasted around the world.
Kelly was arrested and subsequently charged with one count of forcibly taking a child under 16.
He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in April 5 2023, to 13-and-a-half years behind bars.
The sentence was backdated to his arrest in November 2021.
Kelly will be 48 by the time he is eligible for parole in May 2032.