Olympic champion returns to roots: Jennie Finch headlines Pink Ribbon Night

(Sentinel photo by Bethany Kroeze) Remsen St. Mary's pitcher Jennifer Feller watches as Jennie Finch autographs her softball following Thursday's Pink Ribbon Night at the Le Mars Convention Center. [Click to enlarge]

You won't find too many natives of Southern California who enjoy the smell of a cattle farm.

But Jennie Finch is not your typical California girl.

"It's funny how you appreciate the smell of cows and cornfields," said Finch, a softball pitcher for Team USA and a two-time Olympian, said in Le Mars Thursday. "It's such a special community. I've been everywhere and there's none like it. (I'm) sitting in my grandmother's house and people just walk in the front door -- it's great. Everybody knows each other in the small town."

Finch was in Le Mars for the Seventh Annual Pink Ribbon Night, a breast cancer awareness event hosted by Floyd Valley Hospital.

But this was hardly the first time the Olympic gold medalist has been to Northwest Iowa.

The offspring of two sweethearts from Hawarden's West Sioux High School, Finch still has grandmothers that live in Sioux County and she considers herself a Midwesterner at heart.

"I have some treasured memories here," Finch said. "My grandma has lived in the same house (in Ireton) for 60-some years, so it's quite special and always unique. I definitely feel like my roots are here in the Midwest."

Finch was born and raised in California, but ventured back to Iowa often. One of her older brothers even attended Northwestern College in Orange City.

The Pink Ribbon Night was the impetus for Thursday's trip and breast cancer research is something "near and dear" to Finch's heart.

She saw a former babysitter die from the disease and watched a relative conquer breast cancer.

"You see so many women touched by it and so many families touched by it," Finch said. "It's definitely a cause on my heart and something that I want to see cured. I want to help raise awareness and help others beat it."

Finch's speech highlighted the Pink Ribbon Night program, which was held at the Le Mars Convention Center.

The event also featured a speech from Dr. Paul Parmelee, of Le Mars.

"There are 2.5 million women who are breast cancer survivors in the United States," Parmelee, adorned in a pink feather boa, told the audience. "Early detection is the key. We need to detect it with early screening."

Parmelee also said while some women are more prone to developing breast cancer due to genetic factors, there are measures women can take to lessen their risk like limiting alcohol intake, breast-feeding their children, exercising and getting a yearly mammogram after age 40.

Parmelee said one troubling statistic is that the number of women over 40 getting mammograms has dropped from 70 to 66 percent since 2005.

"We don't want that number to drop any more," he told the audience. "We want women to live their lives to the fullest."

Finch's speech focused on a variety of topics, including breast cancer and the beginning and trajectory of her softball career, which includes a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics and a national title at the University of Arizona.

"Who would have ever thought of where it would have taken me and the road has been so amazing," Finch told the audience. "I am so blessed to be a part of everything I have in terms of seeing women's sports grow."

Finch also talked about the sacrifices she made, leading her two older brothers to label them as a "crazy softball family."

"It's a commitment," Finch told the audience. "When I was growing up, we didn't know what vacations were. We just went from tournament to tournament, but every time I stepped on the field, I fell more in love with it."

One of her favorite memories was getting to skip school to attend an annual softball tournament near her home, where she was captivated by the sound of metal cleats on cement.

She said when she finally got to wear metal spikes at Arizona, she went through twice as many pairs as her teammates from walking around on cement to hear the noise.

Following the program at the Convention Center, Finch took time to pose for photographs and sign autographs.

The session capped a busy day for Finch, who gave a similar talk at the Le Mars Community Middle School auditorium earlier in the afternoon.

She also demonstrated her five-pitch repertoire while encouraging the crowd -- comprised primarily of middle school and high school students -- to pursue their dreams.

"(USA and Arizona softball) Coach (Mike) Candrea always said that the two things you can control are your effort and your attitude," Finch told the audience. "They are both choices. Every day you can make a choice never to stop competing."

Finch also regaled the audience with tales of her 3-year-old son Ace, who is fascinated by tractors and bull-riding, despite having an Olympic softball pitcher for a mother and a professional baseball pitcher, Finch's husband Casey Daigle, for a father.

Finch plans to play during the 2010 season before likely hanging up her beloved metal cleats.

"There's no greater honor than taking the field with 'Team USA' on across your chest," Finch told the audience. "When I was standing on the (Olympic) podium I was thinking, 'This is what I sacrificed for.'"