Miss Kansas is not in Kansas anymore and Miss America has never seen anyone like her before.
Theresa Vail is a sergeant in the U.S. Army, has two big tattoos, is an M16 marksman, a bowhunter and a mechanic.
“Nobody expects a soldier to be a beauty queen,” Vail said in People magazine, “but I’m all about breaking stereotypes.”
On top of her unusual resume, Vail is also brand new to the beauty pageant circuit having entered her first contest only nine months ago on the advice of her commanding officer.
When she entered the contest she planned to use archery as her skill but two days before the event started the organizers said she couldn’t use her bow and arrows because “projectile objects” were forbidden. Unfazed, Vail found legendary opera singer Luciano Pavarotti singing “Nussun Dorma” on YouTube and set about mastering it.
“I’d never sung opera in my life,” Vail said, “I had an appreciation for it and I sang soprano in choir back in high school, but I hadn’t sung since then and certainly never opera.”
Despite her lack of experience, Vail won the competition. “My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers,” Vail told People magazine. “What a hypocrite I would be if I covered my ink. How can I tell other women to be fearless and true to themselves if I can’t do the same? I am who I am, tattoos and all.”
The Miss America competition airs this Sunday at 9 p.m. on ABC.