Softball star Jennie Finch offers a candid look at her life on and off the field in a new interview with DICK’S Sporting Goods “453 and a Half” blog. In a long and insightful Q&A, Finch opens up about her achievements, her upbringing, and how sports helped her go from being an outcast to a standout.

“I was always the biggest girl out there,” Finch tells 453 and a Half. “I never really fit in, because I was always just so big. Then I started realizing like, ‘Wow, I’m big—but I am strong and I am powerful and I can shoot a basketball, and I can jump for rebounds and I can throw fastballs.’ It made me appreciate my skillset and the gifts I’ve been given and not look at them as flaws.”

During the conversation, Finch offers tips on softball gear, provides ideas for developing a champion’s mindset, and shares insight on how she’s raising her three children so that they find their own inner athlete. Find out what she has to say at 453 and a Half.