by Daphne Backman
On February 1, 2025, I acquired the heartbreaking information that Michelle Wojdyla had handed away. I’ve began this text so many occasions and needed to cease, restart, scrap it, and begin over as a result of I used to be making an attempt too onerous to make it good, to not overlook anybody she helped or to incorporate each single particular reminiscence. For the primary few tries, it was unattainable for me to get my head across the magnitude of writing it. Now that I’ve been capable of sit with it, I’m making an attempt once more. And the outcome, is what you’re studying now.
Penning this tribute wouldn’t have been potential 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 have been fortunate sufficient to study from her. Buddies she met alongside the best way and photographers she mentored additionally despatched images and shared their very own tales.
For many who have adopted Ice-Dance.com (IDC) since its early days, chances are you’ll keep in mind Michelle as considered one of our first photographers. For many who 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.
A form stranger, Emma Abraham, took Michelle beneath her wing, organising her digital camera and introducing her to the intricate fantastic thing about ice dance. This is similar Emma who co-founded ice-dance.com with me only a few months later.
“It was like I had been proven this secret portal, and I can 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 may form the following seven years of her life.
Launched by our mutual good friend 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 turned associates.
In 2003, as Emma started to step again from IDC, Michelle expressed an curiosity in serving to me develop the location. She inspired me to publish extra images from occasions and began sharing images from her catalog to jumpstart the growth. She pushed this concept of how occasion protection might convey new guests and develop past the knowledge hub we had created.
This was additionally the primary yr that we determined to go to the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships. Our good friend Karen Frank beneficial it after attending the earlier yr and inspired us to hitch her for the following one. As die-hard ice dance followers, we have been instantly intrigued by a contest devoted fully to our favourite self-discipline. Little did we all know what Lake Placid would come to characterize. Within the early days, it took all night time for images to again up from the laptop computer to the moveable onerous drive.
Over the following 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. Nationwide Championships in 2006.
Nevertheless, that summer time every thing modified. Michelle was concerned in a head-on vehicular collision that prompted a mind harm. Her reminiscence was affected. She suffered from vertigo and bodily discovered that she might 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 give attention to her situation and restoration, her instant 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.
As a result of fatigue, ache and vertigo, Michelle handed me a digital camera for the primary time. With fast instruction and her steering, 2006 Lake Placid marked a turning level in my very own skilled journey, and Michelle turned greater than a good friend to me—she turned a mentor.
Michelle began a gradual transition from photographer to trainer. 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 shortly developed right into a mentorship that may change Katie’s life.
Michelle’s response was stuffed with wit and knowledge, together with her notorious disdain for skaters in white costumes: “I hate when skaters put on white as a result of it makes it so troublesome to seek out the appropriate digital camera settings.”
“Michelle hated white costumes as a lot as she cherished HoJo’s mac & cheese,” Katie shared.
In 2007, Michelle instructed 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 make the most of this chance and to study from Michelle. That journey turned the muse for the IDC occasion protection staff.
Summers spent in Lake Placid turned a few of my fondest reminiscences—crammed with late nights, laughter, onerous work, and the camaraderie of the 4 of us. The second yr, we turned the “hoodie brigade” after shopping for matching pink Lake Placid hoodies.
It’s humorous as a result of I keep in mind Melanie sharing with me later that she hadn’t deliberate on returning to Lake Placid. Nevertheless Michelle’s remaining phrases to her after that week have been “see you subsequent yr.” She was proper.
Robin’s story intersected with Michelle’s at a pivotal second. As a journalist keen to enhance her writing with robust 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 perpetually.
“For some cause, at that occasion, I felt at house,” Robin shared. “Michelle took me beneath her wing and patiently taught me the basics of images.”
“I owe every thing to Michelle, Daphne, and Mr. Sugawara from Japan. Every considered one of them defined the fundamentals—shutter pace, ISO, and aperture—in a manner that made sense. I spent hours sitting with Michelle, who gave me tips on what makes a very good picture.”
“She edited my images, provided encouragement, and even advised me I had the ‘eye.’ I used to be shocked when a few of my images have been really used on the web site. Michelle advised me I used to be bitten by the images bug. She was proper.”
Although 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 when the bug bites, there’s no turning again. Robin the journalist progressively transitioned into Robin the photographer, and from that time on, there was no wanting again.
I do not forget that one yr, we (Katie, Robin, Melanie, Liz and I) despatched Michelle a Michelle Wojdyla College of Images mug for Christmas.
Michelle’s mentorship prolonged far past this group. She nurtured a complete era of photographers, referring to us as her “infants,” celebrating our milestones as in the event that they have been her personal. When Robin earned her first Olympic credential in 2018, Michelle was moved to tears. “My child goes to the Olympics!” she stated, crammed with pleasure. One other outpouring of emotion got here in 2022 when Melanie earned her accreditation for the Beijing Video games.
Michelle cherished the Olympics. Certainly one of her favourite journeys happened in 1994 when she attended the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Each 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 favourite reminiscences will at all times be watching the Olympics at her home in New Jersey,” Alexis shared. “She’d choose me up from the prepare after which we’d spend an entire weekend watching occasion after occasion. Her and her fantastic mom would hire an enormous television, black out the home windows and supply the most effective snacks. Lately now we have been texting and discussing Formulation One nearly each weekend, and it jogged my memory of the early days of our friendship, having fun with a sport each cherished. I’ll miss my good friend and the way she at all times made me snicker, and I’m so grateful for sports activities bringing us collectively.”
In newer years, Michelle would make the most of a number of screens at house so she would miss as little of the competitions as potential.
Even when Michelle might now not journey, her love for determine skating, the skaters, and images by no means wavered. She cheered for each staff, edited images, and provided recommendation to those that sought it. Her presence could have been bodily absent, however her spirit remained in each picture, each phrase of encouragement.
“I’m undecided what’s extra thrilling: capturing an incredible ice dance {photograph} or being there when another person does,” Michelle as soon as mused. “Some folks simply have a watch for skating images. It’s totally different from other forms of images.”
Michelle Wojdyla’s legacy lives on by way of the photographers she mentored, the friendships she nurtured, and the eagerness she ignited. Her story will proceed to be advised by way of the photographs she captured, the reminiscences she created, and the lives she modified by way of the generosity of sharing her present.
Pictures for this text have been contributed by Ginger Whatley, Amy Sullivan and Alexis DiVicenti.
