When you think of a Miss America contestant, Theresa Vail is not who you picture.
A military sergeant and member of the Army National Guard’s Medical Detachment, Vail is an archery expert, amateur boxer and skydiver, with tattoos.
She's also Miss KansasIf there is one thing that competing has taught me, it’s that you need to be unapologetically yourself and not let others dictate how you feel," she wrote on her blog.
Theresa Vail, who is competing in Sunday's pageant, will not be covering up her tattoos during the competition - a first for any Miss America hopeful.
Vail has tattoos of the Serenity Prayer and a military medical insignia, and she says she decided to display them proudly during the swimsuit round.
"Why am I choosing to bear my tattoos? Reference A; my platform! Empowering women to OVERCOME stereotypes and break barriers," she writes.
"What a hypocrite I would be if I covered the ink. With my platform, how could I tell other women to be fearless and be true to themselves if I can’t do the same?"
"I am who I am, tattoos and all."
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