When you think of a Miss America contestant, a military sergeant and archery expert may not be the first woman who comes to mind.

Theresa Vail is here to change all that. 'If 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 in a May 25 post on her personal blog.

Vail, who is competing as Miss Kansas, is a member of the Kansas Army National Guard’s Medical Detachment. She's also a skydiver, boxer and advocate for young girls.

Here are five things you should know about her.

1. She won't be covering up her tattoos during the competition. Vail has tattoos of the Serenity Prayer and a military medical insignia, and she has decided to display them proudly during the swimsuit round. In an August 22 blog post, Vail wrote:
Why am I choosing to bear my tattoos? Reference A; my platform! Empowering women to OVERCOME stereotypes and break barriers. 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.

2. She used to race motorcycles, and only stopped after breaking all the fingers in her right hand. She wants to become a dentist, which requires flexible fingers.

3. She's fluent in Chinese. The Kansas State University senior is.