Oksana Masters and a life marked by scars that made her a legend

Oksana Masters, a 35-year-old Paralympic standout, has overcome countless obstacles to become a sporting legend in the United States. Born in Ukraine shortly after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, her life has been marked by scars, both visible and invisible, that reflect a story of pain, overcoming and triumph.

Since her birth in 1986, the Chernobyl disaster left scars that manifested themselves in her body. Masters was born with multiple physical deformities, including underdeveloped legs, one leg shorter than the other, webbed fingers on her hands and six toes on each foot. She also lacked thumbs and her legs did not have the bones that support her body weight. Because of these conditions, her biological parents, unable to cover the costs of her treatment, gave her up for adoption.

Before being adopted, Masters spent her early years in various Ukrainian orphanages, where she suffered abuse that left deep emotional scars.In a moving account published in The Players Tribune, Masters describes the horrors she experienced, including her persistent fear of objects such as knives, lit cigarettes and metal chains. These traumas, along with the bitter cold of the orphanages’ long, frightening hallways, formed part of a painful past that would stay with her for a long time.

Her life changed dramatically at the age of 8, she was adopted by an American single mother and moved to Buffalo, New York. Although he began to receive the love and care he needed, the transition was not easy. Even in his new home he had a hard time adjusting to the comfort of a bed, preferring to sleep on the floor, a reflection of the unresolved traumas of his childhood in those orphanages.

At ages 9 and 14, Masters underwent several surgeries, including the amputation of both legs, first the left and then the right, as well as hand reconstruction surgeries. These procedures, while necessary, showed some improvement in his health and life, but there were still more challenges ahead.

It was in Louisville, Kentucky that she found her passion for sports. Encouraged by her mother, she began adaptive rowing, an activity that gave her a new sense of freedom and control over her body.In the water, I began to feel a new sense of freedom and control that had been taken away from me so many times throughout my past.“, he said on his official website.

In 2011, Masters met her rowing partner Rob Jones, with whom she won a bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. This success marked the beginning of an unstoppable career in the world of Paralympic sport.

After rowing, Masters made an “easy” transition to Nordic skiing and biathlon, where she won multiple medals, including two golds at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games and another at Beijing 2022. A back injury in 2014 led her to try cycling, where she found a new challenge and claimed two gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Today, Oksana Masters is one of the most recognizable faces in American Paralympic sport. At Paris 2024, she competed in cycling again, feeling excited to have participated in a country where cycling is a way of life. But beyond her sporting achievements, Masters is committed to growing the Paralympic movement and ensuring that future generations find a better world in this area.

In addition to her sporting career, Masters has become an author, publishing her memoir in 2023, a process she described as a form of healing. Looking ahead, she dreams of spending more time with her adoptive mother, taking her on vacation, and starting her own family with her partner, fellow Paralympian Aaron Pike.