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by Daphne Backman
On February 1, 2025, I obtained the heartbreaking information that Michelle Wojdyla had handed away. I’ve began this text so many instances and needed to cease, restart, scrap it, and begin over as a result of I used to be attempting too exhausting to make it good, to not overlook anybody she helped or to incorporate each single particular reminiscence. For the primary few tries, it was not possible for me to get my head across the magnitude of writing it. Now that I’ve been capable of sit with it, I’m attempting once more. And the outcome, is what you’re studying now.
Writing this tribute wouldn’t have been doable if Michelle hadn’t shared her images journey reflections for IDC’s twenty fifth Anniversary video. I’m grateful she did. It not solely permits me to share the story of how she contributed to the world of determine skating images, but in addition concerning the lives of those that had been fortunate sufficient to study from her. Friends she met alongside the best way and photographers she mentored additionally despatched photographs and shared their very own tales.
For those that have adopted Ice-Dance.com (IDC) since its early days, you could bear in mind Michelle as one among our first photographers. For those that haven’t, Michelle’s affect performed a key function in shaping the early trajectory of IDC in some ways past the lens of her digital camera.
Michelle’s path into images started on the 1999 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki. Her pal Ginger loaned her a digital camera (pictured, proper), she sat within the entrance row for ice dance, uncertain of easy methods to even flip it on.
A sort stranger, Emma Abraham, took Michelle underneath her wing, organising her digital camera and introducing her to the intricate fantastic thing about ice dance. This is identical Emma who co-founded ice-dance.com with me just some months later.
“It was like I had been shown this secret portal, and I will be eternally grateful for that,” Michelle later recalled. It was in that second {that a} deep ardour for determine skating images was ignited, one that will form the subsequent seven years of her life.
Introduced by our mutual pal Emma, I first met Michelle in 2000 at a Champions On Ice tour cease in New Jersey. From that time ahead, Michelle and I stayed in contact by way of e-mail, and over time, we grew to become pals.
In 2003, as Emma started to step again from IDC, Michelle expressed an curiosity in serving to me broaden the positioning. She inspired me to submit extra photographs from occasions and began sharing photographs from her catalog to jumpstart the enlargement. She pushed this concept of how occasion protection may deliver new guests and develop past the data hub we had created.
This was additionally the primary yr that we determined to go to the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships. Our pal Karen Frank really helpful it after attending the earlier yr and inspired us to affix her for the subsequent one. As die-hard ice dance followers, we had been instantly intrigued by a contest devoted completely to our favourite self-discipline. Little did we all know what Lake Placid would come to characterize. In the early days, it took all night time for photographs to again up from the laptop computer to the transportable exhausting drive.
Over the subsequent a number of seasons, Michelle’s fixed encouragement led me to push additional in our occasion protection, attending extra occasions—together with my first U.S. National Championships in 2006.
However, that summer time every part modified. Michelle was concerned in a head-on vehicular collision that prompted a mind damage. Her reminiscence was affected. She suffered from vertigo and bodily discovered that she may now not shoot the best way she as soon as had.
Michelle being Michelle and regardless of any makes an attempt to implore her to concentrate on her situation and restoration, her speedy concern after the accident was the upcoming occasion in Lake Placid. She had resolved to attempt to proceed to {photograph} occasions, however at a special capability.
Due to fatigue, ache and vertigo, Michelle handed me a digital camera for the primary time. With fast instruction and her steerage, 2006 Lake Placid marked a turning level in my very own skilled journey, and Michelle grew to become greater than a pal to me—she grew to become a mentor.
Michelle began a gradual transition from photographer to instructor. Her unwavering ardour for images and her willingness to share her data additionally modified the profession trajectory of others together with Melanie Heaney, Katie Pettet, Robin Ritoss and Liz Chastney.
Katie’s story started with a easy e-mail to Michelle, asking for recommendation on Canon DSLRs and freelance images. What began as a query rapidly advanced right into a mentorship that will change Katie’s life.
Michelle’s response was filled with wit and knowledge, together with her notorious disdain for skaters in white costumes: “I hate when skaters wear white because it makes it so difficult to find the right camera settings.”
“Michelle hated white costumes as much as she loved HoJo’s mac & cheese,” Katie shared.
In 2007, Michelle urged we attain out for assist in overlaying the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships, providing the chance for these to study images whereas utilizing her gear or offering their very own.
Katie and Melanie Heaney traveled to Lake Placid to benefit from this chance and to study from Michelle. That journey grew to become the inspiration for the IDC occasion protection crew.
Summers spent in Lake Placid grew to become a few of my fondest recollections—stuffed with late nights, laughter, exhausting work, and the camaraderie of the 4 of us. The second yr, we grew to become the “hoodie brigade” after shopping for matching pink Lake Placid hoodies.
It’s humorous as a result of I bear in mind Melanie sharing with me later that she hadn’t deliberate on returning to Lake Placid. However Michelle’s last phrases to her after that week had been “see you next year.” She was proper.
Robin’s story intersected with Michelle’s at a pivotal second. As a journalist keen to enhance her writing with sturdy visible content material, Robin reached out to me for recommendation. In 2009, I invited Robin to Lake Placid to study images from Michelle and borrow some gear. What Robin didn’t know was how this journey would change her life endlessly.
“For some reason, at that event, I felt at home,” Robin shared. “Michelle took me under her wing and patiently taught me the fundamentals of photography.”
“I owe everything to Michelle, Daphne, and Mr. Sugawara from Japan. Each one of them explained the basics—shutter speed, ISO, and aperture—in a way that made sense. I spent hours sitting with Michelle, who gave me pointers on what makes a good photo.”
“She edited my photos, offered encouragement, and even told me I had the ‘eye.’ I was shocked when some of my photos were actually used on the website. Michelle told me I was bitten by the photography bug. She was right.”
Though Robin was initially hesitant to name herself a photographer, Michelle’s affect continued and as Robin’s expertise grew, so did her confidence. Michelle had warned her that after the bug bites, there’s no turning again. Robin the journalist step by step transitioned into Robin the photographer, and from that time on, there was no wanting again.
I keep in mind that one yr, we (Katie, Robin, Melanie, Liz and I) despatched Michelle a Michelle Wojdyla School of Photography mug for Christmas.
Michelle’s mentorship prolonged far past this group. She nurtured a whole technology of photographers, referring to us as her “babies,” celebrating our milestones as in the event that they had been her personal. When Robin earned her first Olympic credential in 2018, Michelle was moved to tears. “My baby is going to the Olympics!” she stated, stuffed with delight. Another outpouring of emotion got here in 2022 when Melanie earned her accreditation for the Beijing Games.
Michelle liked the Olympics. One of her favourite journeys befell in 1994 when she attended the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Every two years she spent weeks watching the U.S. nationwide trials in lots of sports activities, not simply winter sports activities or simply determine skating. She and her mother additionally hosted Olympic viewing events.
“My favorite memories will always be watching the Olympics at her house in New Jersey,” Alexis shared. “She’d pick me up from the train and then we’d spend a whole weekend watching event after event. Her and her wonderful mother would rent a huge tv, black out the windows and provide the best snacks. In recent years we have been texting and discussing Formula One almost every weekend, and it reminded me of the early days of our friendship, enjoying a sport both loved. I will miss my friend and how she always made me laugh, and I’m so thankful for sports bringing us together.”
In more moderen years, Michelle would make the most of a number of screens at house so she would miss as little of the competitions as doable.
Even when Michelle may now not journey, her love for determine skating, the skaters, and images by no means wavered. She cheered for each crew, edited photographs, and supplied recommendation to those that sought it. Her presence might have been bodily absent, however her spirit remained in each picture, each phrase of encouragement.
“I’m not sure what is more exciting: capturing an amazing ice dance photograph or being there when someone else does,” Michelle as soon as mused. “Some people just have an eye for skating photography. It’s different from other kinds of photography.”
Michelle Wojdyla’s legacy lives on by way of the photographers she mentored, the friendships she nurtured, and the fervour she ignited. Her story will proceed to be informed by way of the photographs she captured, the recollections she created, and the lives she modified by way of the generosity of sharing her present.
Photographs for this text had been contributed by Ginger Whatley, Amy Sullivan and Alexis DiVicenti.