“Finally a contestant that’s not a bag of bones,” was just one of the tweets that Miss Indiana Mekayla Diehlread out about herself following the commotion surrounding her appearance at the Miss USA 2014 pageant. The 25-year-old contestant became a social media phenomenon after appearing in the swimsuit section of the contest daring to look like she hadn’t starved herself for the six months prior.

Miss Indiana Mekayla DiehlIs Miss Indiana Mekayla Diehl the REAL Miss USA? [Photo: Getty Images, Credit: Stacy Revere]

Over 4,000 tweets were sent about Diehl after she appeared in a white swimsuit and was subsequently eliminated from the pageant. While she may not have gone on to win the competition, the attention that she has garnered on social media and the positive reaction that people have had to her led her to admit: “Having such a positive feedback on my body, [it feels like a win] in itself.”

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Other tweets sent about Mekayla included: “The fact Miss Indiana is not a complete twig makes me really happy” and “Calling this women ‘fat’ means u should be smacked! Women should look like women! Not 10 yr old boys!” Diehl’s response? “Well, I’m 25 and a woman, so I’m glad I look womanly!”  And she's got a sense of humour, what's not to love?

Diehl, who is 5”8’ 137 pounds and wears a US size 4/UK size 8 dress weighs 25 pounds more than the average Miss USA contestant. She explained: “I had a tweet from a girl who is fighting anorexia and that, to me, is better than the crown.”

Miss IndianaMiss Indiana Mekayla Diehl at the Miss USA pageant [Photo: Getty Images, Credit: Stacy Revere]

Being an inspiration for those suffering with eating disorders isn’t the only characteristic that makes Mekayla stand out from the regular beauty pageant contestant. She has revealed that as a child she was sexually abused by a family friend and now works with other girls who have gone through the same ordeal. “I think I’m inspiring a lot of young girls, which is what we need in today’s society,” Mekayla told ET Online.

We have a feeling that with the amount of attention she’s been attracting the judging panel are kicking themselves for letting Mekayla slip through their fingers. In just a few days she’s become a huge inspiration on a number of levels that many Miss USAs never achieve. She may not have won the crown but we have a feeling that her name will be cropping up for some time to come.

On top of this, the fact that she was able eloquently read out tweets about herself elevates her to a level of basic human intelligence that many beauty pageant contestants in the past have been unable to reach. Oh, and Kendall Jenner.

MORE: Miss Indiana Mekayla Diehl wins over Twitter, talks "real women" and curves