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Jennie Finch

The statistics on Jennie Finch are certainly impressive. She’s a former pitcher for the USA National Softball Team, she lead her team to a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics and a silver medal at the 2008 Olympics and she’s been dubbed a Pop Culture Icon and possibly the greatest softball player in sport’s history. What you might not know however, is that Jennie Finch is just like the rest of us; a wife, a mother and a woman struggling to balance the many balls in the air that she calls life.

I recall the first time I saw Jennie Finch. I was living in Arizona with my ex-husband, an avid ESPN watcher, when one day he yelled for me frantically, “Honey come here, you have to see this girl throw a pitch… she’s amazing!” Sure enough, he was right. Between her mind blowing skills and record breaking speed, Finch was on her way to stardom from the very first pitch. When asked about the talent that so rapidly catapulted her to sports fame, Finch says, “I definitely believe some of it was a God given talent, but it didn’t come easy. Many, many hours of hard work, blood, sweat and even tears over the years. But I love playing and pitching.” Finch also credits softball to the many amazing experiences in her life. Everything from her worldwide travels, to participating in the Olympics to even meeting her husband (Major League pitcher Casey Daigle), is all thanks to her amazing softball career.

“Softball has given me so much,” she says. “I am forever blessed and grateful. “  Jennie Finch

Another thing that Finch is forever grateful for is the blessing of her two boys. While she admits that having children did force her to rearrange everything from her schedule to her priorities, she claims they were all good changes. So how does the busy mom stay in shape with such a hectic professional and personal life? Honestly it’s not quite what you would think. Finch doesn’t have a rigid workout plan that she’s forced to plan her whole day around; instead she tries to do as much as she can when she has the time. “I try to move every day,” she says. “I don’t get to go to the gym every day or lift weights like I used to. I get my workouts in early before the boys wake up and try to incorporate (fitness) into my everyday life by taking the stairs, taking the long route, holding on to my youngest and doing some squats or by being active with our 5 year old playing soccer or jumping on the trampoline.” One routine Jennie did manage to fit in was training for the New York City Marathon. Finch finished ahead of 30,397 of the 47,438 participants, and with the help of Timex raised $30,000 for The New York Road Runner’s Youth Programs. She finished the 26.2 mile race in just 4:05:26!

Jennie continues to inspire others, young female athletes in particular. She recently published her book, “Throw Like a Girl” which details Finch’s own athletic journey and offers young women the inspiration to truly reach for their dreams of becoming an athlete. She says she was inspired to write the book because when looking for inspirational material for young female athletes, she found very limited options. In addition to her book, Finch also hosts an annual Softball camp for young girls to help them learn the fundamentals of pitching and playing the game.

With all of Jennie Finch’s successes and fame, she remains humble and grateful. While her professional career in softball may have come to a halt, her knowledge of the game and passion for teaching it to others continues to thrive and encourage. Her advice for young girls inspiring to become a professional athlete is simple, “Go for it, but don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. It’s about balance. Your faith, family, school, sports, friends, activities, etc. are important too. Just like anything, it’s going to take work and sacrifice and if you want it, go for it!” Not bad advice from a woman who wanted it, went for it and did in fact get it all!

For more information on Jennie Finch or her book, “Throw Like a Girl”, visit: http://www.jenniefinch.com/

Sian Bitner-Kearney
Editor