I try to not be too hard on myself regarding my diet. I've always been a workout-to-eat kind of a girl. I like to eat, to say the least.

When I lose, I take it very personally.

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'm living a dream. I hope in 10 years people will know me as a gold medalist.

As a believer, I know that Jesus Christ has a plan and it's not going to be my plan. It's not always succeeding and looking back it's amazing looking back to see how God works in mysterious ways, not always good ways, rough ways but those rough times, those rough patches, and those swamps and all those things that I went through are looking back, were such an incredible life lessons for me not only to shape and build me as an athlete but most importantly, my character as a person.

Seeing women on television was very important to me. It opened my eyes to the possibilities of women's sports. It showed me what I could do and who I could be.

My parents were born and raised in Iowa and my two brothers were born in Iowa before my family moved to California where I was born so I still really feel like I have those Midwestern roots.