Angela Waldick strode into Serauxmen Stadium Friday feeling like the luckiest woman in Nanaimo, just hired as the Nanaimo NightOwls Baseball team’s official photographer.
“I’m unbelievably stoked,” said Angela Waldick, a Nanaimo resident.
The hiring could also put the single mom of two in the history books.
Waldick is legally blind and believed to be the first-ever blind photographer for a sports team, based on team research.
“We do believe that she is the first sports-based, legally blind photographer, frankly, in history, let alone at any level,” said Nanaimo NightsOwls GM Jim Swanson.
The professional photographer has always had a special gift for capturing moments but feared she may have lost it after an accident in her home five years ago.
“There was an unsecured shelf and my daughter tried to climb it,” said Waldick. “And my choice was either the shelf hit my head or it essentially hurt her and I made the choice of me,” she said.
She lost nearly all her vision in her right eye following the incident and was told it will worsen over time.
Yet, Waldick credits her cameras and their large viewfinders to be able to continue pursuing her passion.
“If I didn’t have technology I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing,” said Waldick.
Waldick caught the attention of Swanson following a January 1 firework show, put on by the Nanaimo NightOwls. The photographer captured images of the event that couldn’t go unnoticed.
“The photos were unbelievable,” said Swanson. “So we had the start of the conversation.”
It wasn’t until after the two sides connected that Waldick revealed she was legally blind, but her work clearly stood for itself.
Waldick added that achievement felt a lot like a homerun for the hometown baseball fan, who never gave up on herself and now can’t wait to start her official duties.
The West Coast League’s season and the NightOwl’s official debut is currently slated to tee-off this June.
Skye Ryan
