Miss Kansas and Army National Guard sergeant Theresa Vail became the first Miss America contestant in history to walk the ramp exposing a tattoo.
Theresa Vail is an active member of military, Miss Kansas, a dental technician with a National Guard medical unit based out of Kansas, expert marksman trained to handle M-16, speaks Chinese fluently and is also the first ever Miss America contestant to sport a visible tattoo, a big one. The multi-talented 22-year-old blonde bombshell participated in the preliminary swimsuit competition Tuesday night in Atlantic City.
Vail walked across the stage flaunting her gorgeous body in a bright red bikini, showing off her lengthy tattoo the right side of her ribs and hips in a sizable series of vintage font. Explaining her decision to flaunt her tattoo during the show, Vail took to her blog last month entitled "God, Grant Me The Courage To Change The Things I Can."
"As I was growing up amidst the bullying and neglect, I found myself asking God on a daily basis to give me peace in knowing I cannot change certain things about myself, but also asking Him to give me the strength to change things that I had the power to," Vail wrote, adding that "Praying to Him for these characteristics got me through my adolescent years, high school and boot camp. When I was 20 years old, I knew I wanted to always be reminded of my past and its connection to this prayer. Thus, I chose to have it tattooed onto my body. I have no regrets."
With no prior experience in beauty contests, Vail entered her first pageant nine months ago and was Miss Leavenworth County before winning Miss Kansas in June. Besides proudly showing her tattoo during the pageant, Miss Kansas also caught the eye during Saturday's much-anticipated "Show Us Your Shoes" Parade. While the contestants generally show their flashy side during the night, Vail chose to appear in her army uniform and combat boots.
Vail's decision did not pose a problem for the pageant organizers. President of the Miss America Organization, Sharon Pearce, told NewJersey.com that the organizers were aware of Vail's decision and had no objection.
"We believe each contestant definitely has the ability to show their individuality," she said. "We're happy to support them."
Vail also amazed her co-contestants with her boldness.
"She's such a cool girl," Chandler Champion said about Vail. "She's so full of surprises."
The tattoo, the Serenity Prayer, which Vail publicly displayed during the show reads:
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference."
