As a mother who is almost 40 and who was born in Iran, new Miss Germany Apameh Schoenauer stood out at the beauty pageant.
But those traits also exposed her to a wave of online abuse.
"I knew I would get a bit of blowback, but not like this," Schoenauer, 39, said.
Many of the hateful messages aimed at her over her looks and ethnicity after her coronation in February were "superficial."
But it was also her unconventional profile that drove her to sign up for the contest.
"I took part in Miss Germany because I wanted to change something," said Schoenauer, an architect and mother of a toddler, who moved to Germany aged six.
It was after her daughter's birth that she decided she wanted to do something to be more of a "role model" for young girls.
Her own roots were an inspiration.
The images of "strong Iranian women, taking to the streets every day to fight for their freedom" after Mahsa Amini died in custody in 2022 for alleged breach of Iran's dress code moved her to do something.
Schoenauer is the founder of the Shirzan network - "lion woman" in Farsi - which campaigns for women's rights.
Most Iranians, she said, were "proud" to see her crowned Miss Germany.
"They gain hope from the fact that, as an Iranian woman, you can make a difference in a different country where you grew up and have lived for more than 30 years."
Since its 2019 overhaul, the pageant is less about waist size and looks, and more about character and achievements.
The most recent edition also lifted the upper age limit, opening up to older women.
The online anger to Schoenauer's coronation showed that her campaign "could not be more important than it is right now."
"If they have the courage, they should sit down at a table and talk to me constructively," she said. "But when someone hides behind their screen, behind an anonymous name I don't waste my energy on this."
After getting a degree, Schoenauer had a shock when she stepped into the male-dominated world of architecture. "I learned what it means to battle through as a woman in a man's job and then also as an Iranian woman, as a migrant."
For her, the mission as Miss Germany was to "inspire young women to become the best version of themselves" whatever their story. "You can never forget about your origins, but you have to look now to your future to do the best you can," she said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
