Jennie Finch
Jennie Finch
Jennie Lynn Finchis an American, former collegiate All-American, right-handed softball pitcher and first baseman originally from La Mirada, California. She pitched for the Arizona Wildcats, the USA national softball team and the Chicago Bandits. Finch won the 2001 Women's College World Series and helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Time magazine described her as the most famous softball player in history. In 2010, Finch...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionSoftball Player
Date of Birth3 September 1980
CityLa Mirada, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Growing up, I looked up to major league baseball players, and now these young women have amazing, incredible women all across the board, from swimming to gymnastics to softball to basketball.
There's nothing better than working up a good sweat.
It is incredible how far women have come and women in sports have come.
It's so empowering to see yourself as a machine.
I've face more than 35 major leaguers, and only two have ever made contact against me.
I had female role models to look up to starting in middle school, athletes like Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm who made me realize that there was room in the world of sports for women. They ignited my dream of becoming an Olympic athlete.
For softball, we need the Olympics. For young girls dreaming of that Olympic dream, that's where it's at, and that's where it all started in '96 for our sport.
I try to squeeze in a workout whenever I can, even if it's doing squats with my 7-month-old in the kitchen or jumping on the trampoline with my 5-year-old.
I love to run. I was challenged to run the New York marathon four months after having my youngest son, and since running isn't a big part of softball, the thought of a marathon was a stretch for me.
I just feel like it gets harder and harder every year with Ace getting older and time away from my husband and even family events such as birthdays and friends' weddings and things that I've always just missed out on because of softball.
I get has been great. It has opened so many doors for me.
A macho attitude is totally to my advantage. Guys try to hit it 400 feet out of the park, but in softball you have to use a short, quick swing. Big, huge swings equal big, huge strikeouts.
I could have never dreamed what an amazing ride this has been.
I don't want to be just a face. I want to go out there and prove something on the field.