Baseball pro Danny Jansen talks glasses, goal-setting, and #FindYourFocus
Having great vision is important for everyone – but when you have a baseball flying towards you at 100mph, it’s really important to be able to see clearly…
For Toronto’s professional baseball player, Danny Jansen, wearing glasses is about so much more than just vision correction.
We recently spent a day with Danny in Toronto at a local baseball field and talked to him about how getting the right eye care has impacted his life. He told us how glasses have helped him to find his focus – both on and off the field.
Watch the video and learn a little bit more about Danny below!
Keeping his eye on the ball: Danny’s story
Danny, #FindYourFocus, and Clearly
Danny says he chose to work with Clearly based on his own experience with eye care and how it has helped him to find his focus.
“I wanted to partner with Clearly because wearing glasses changed my career and life immensely and for the better.”
Sharing his story might encourage others to make the changes they need in order to reach their potential.
“The variety of options and attention to detail that Clearly provides really drew me to the company. Ultimately, I want to inspire people to wear glasses and not be self-conscious about it.”
A game-changing discovery
Going pro meant the start of a whole new set of challenges for Danny, including years of grueling training, frustrating injuries, and hard-fought recovery. But he remained motivated throughout the journey, determined to reach his goals.
His hard work began to pay off – and the timing happened to coincide with getting his first pair of glasses.
It was Spring 2016. Danny was in the outfield, looking at the scoreboard.
“It was really blurry, everything was bleeding together, and I said, ‘that can’t be right, I’ve always had good eyes.’”
He’d originally written it off as tiredness, but a visit to the optometrist confirmed that he had a stigmatism (a common condition that can cause blurred vision) in both eyes.
Once Danny brought his glasses to the field, his game transformed. It wasn’t just the scoreboard that was clearer – it was also the spin on the ball.
“Once I got glasses it was career changing for me. That’s when I really progressed and took off.”
It wasn’t only his game that has improved, but his overall mentality and confidence as a player.
Looking ahead: What vision means to Danny
For Danny, vision isn’t just about being able to read the numbers on the scoreboard. It’s about realizing what those numbers mean for the bigger picture and finding a way to achieve the goals he’s set for himself.
He says that, to him, vision is about “being the best player I can be [and] aspiring to hopefully win a World Series.”
So how do you go from hardly being able to see the scoreboard to helping your team achieve national fame?
“[The] only way I know I can do that is by staying true to myself, putting my head down, working hard, and just keep pushing.”
When he thinks about what helps him to find his focus, Danny takes his eyes off the ball for a second and looks around at how far he has come.
“I find my focus by realizing what means the most to me: my family, my friends, who I play for. I’m very grateful for what I do, we’ve got people coming to the games every single day, I get to make kids’ days and sign a ball for them.
“It’s amazing, it’s very tough not to be inspired when we do what we do. We’re very fortunate. Very lucky.”
Have your glasses or contact lenses transported you into your own personal version of the Major League? Share your story about how you #FindYourFocus with us!
