Oksana Masters (born June 19, 1989) is an American multi-sport
Paralympic
The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...
athlete of Ukrainian descent from
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
Having primarily specialized in
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...
and
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...
, she won the first ever United States medal in trunk and arms mixed double
sculls at the
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...
in London.
She was also a part of the U.S. Nordic skiing team at the
2014 Winter Paralympics
The 2014 Winter Paralympics (russian: Зимние Паралимпийские игры 2014, Zimniye Paralimpiyskiye igry 2014), the 11th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, were an ...
and the
2018 Winter Paralympics
)
, nations = 49
, athletes = 569
, events = 80 in 6 sports
, opening = 9 March
, closing = 18 March
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Eun-jung Seo Soon-seok
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic ...
. She won two Paralympic medals in 2014 and five Paralympic medals in 2018, including two gold.
She switched to
para-cycling
Para-cycling (or Paracycling) is the sport of cycling (sport), cycling adapted for cyclists who have various disability, disabilities. It is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The sport consists of seven different events which in ...
after the 2012 Paralympics and competed at the
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
and
2020 Summer Paralympics
The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralym ...
, winning two gold medals at the latter. She competed at the
2022 Winter Paralympics
The 2022 Winter Paralympics (), commonly known as Beijing 2022 (), was an international winter multi-sport parasports event held in Beijing, China from 4 to 13 March 2022. This was the 13th Winter Paralympic Games, as administered by the Inte ...
, winning a gold medal in
Biathlon – Women's 6 kilometres, sitting.
Early life
Oksana was born in 1989, three years after the
Chernobyl nuclear disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR in the Sov ...
, with several
radiation
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes:
* ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...
-induced
birth defect
A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...
s,
including
tibial hemimelia Tibial may refer to:
* Tibia bone
* Tibial nerve
* Anterior tibial artery
* Posterior tibial artery
* Anterior tibial vein
* Posterior tibial vein
The posterior tibial veins are veins of the leg in humans. They drain the posterior compartment of ...
(resulting in different leg lengths), missing weight-bearing
shinbone
The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...
s in her calves, webbed fingers with no thumbs, and six toes on each foot.
She was abandoned by her birth parents at a Ukrainian orphanage where she lived until age 7. After she turned 7, Oksana was adopted by Gay Masters, an unmarried American speech therapy professor with no biological children.
After moving to the United States in 1997, both of Oksana's legs were eventually amputated above the knee—her left leg at age nine and her right leg at age 14—as they became increasingly painful and unable to support her weight.
Oksana also had surgery to modify her innermost fingers on each hand so they could function as thumbs.
When she arrived in the U.S., her mother was a professor at the
University at Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1846 ...
; she moved to
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
in 2001 when her mother took a faculty position at the
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...
, and graduated from the city's
Atherton High School in 2008.
Rowing career
![Oksana Masters Rob Jones Belgrade World Rowing Cup 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Oksana_Masters_Rob_Jones_Belgrade_World_Rowing_Cup_2012.jpg)
Masters began
adaptive rowing
Pararowing (or adaptive rowing) is a category of rowing race for those with physical, visual or intellectual disabilities.
History
In 1913, rowing for individuals with disabilities was initiated by headmaster George Clifford Brown at Worcester C ...
in 2002 at age 13,
shortly before her right leg was amputated.
She continued afterward and began adaptive rowing competitively. In 2010, she competed at the
CRASH-B Sprints
The CRASH-B Sprints World Indoor Rowing Championships (CRASH-B Sprints) was the world championship for indoor rowing, raced over a distance of 2,000m. The regatta is sponsored by Concept2, and raced on their C2 rowers. Originally held in Harvard' ...
, setting a world record in the process. She was also the first adaptive
sculler
Sculling is the use of oars to propel a boat by moving them through the water on both sides of the craft, or moving one oar over the stern. A long, narrow boat with sliding seats, rigged with two oars per rower may be referred to as a scull, i ...
to compete in the Indianapolis Rowing Club "Head of the Eagle" regatta, winning the women's open singles event in the process.
In 2011, Masters and teammate
Augusto Perez placed second at the Adaptive World Championship trials in West Windsor, New Jersey.
In preparation for the 2012 London Paralympic Games, Masters teamed with
Rob Jones, a
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
veteran who lost both legs to an
IED explosion in
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.
Masters and Jones called themselves "Team Bad Company"
and proceeded to win both the Adaptive World Championships Trials and the Final Paralympic Qualification Regatta by substantial margins.
On September 2, at the 2012 London Paralympics, Masters and Jones finished third—winning the first-ever United States medal (bronze) in trunk and arms mixed double sculls with a final time of 4:05.56. They finished behind China (gold) and France (silver) while just edging out Great Britain.
Due to a back injury, Masters has given up competitive rowing since winning a bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympics. She has since taken up
para-cycling
Para-cycling (or Paracycling) is the sport of cycling (sport), cycling adapted for cyclists who have various disability, disabilities. It is governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The sport consists of seven different events which in ...
and cross country skiing.
Paralympian Oksana Masters pursues cycling spot – USA Today Sports Retrieved May 17, 2016.
Cross-country skiing career
![Oksana Masters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Oksana_Masters.JPG)
Following her medal win in rowing at the 2012 Paralympics, Masters took up cross-country skiing. At the
2014 Winter Paralympics
The 2014 Winter Paralympics (russian: Зимние Паралимпийские игры 2014, Zimniye Paralimpiyskiye igry 2014), the 11th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games, were an ...
in Sochi, Russia, she won a silver medal in the 12 km Nordic and a bronze medal in the 5 km Nordic. She also placed fourth and eighth in two biathlon events. Masters sustained a back injury during this time and gave up rowing as a result. She took up cycling as part of the recovery process.
Masters won her first Paralympic gold medal at the
2018 Winter Paralympics
)
, nations = 49
, athletes = 569
, events = 80 in 6 sports
, opening = 9 March
, closing = 18 March
, opened_by = President Moon Jae-in
, cauldron = Kim Eun-jung Seo Soon-seok
, stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic ...
in the
Cross-country skiing at the 2018 Winter Paralympics – Women's 1.5 km sprint classical, cross-country skiing women's 1.5 km sprint classical event after experiencing multiple setbacks. She had injured her elbow three weeks prior to the Games and had also withdrawn from a biathlon event the day before after falling during the race. She won five medals total from those Games, three in cross-country and two in biathlon. She won the gold medal in the
cross-country skiing's 5 km sitting event and the bronze medal in the
cross-country skiing's 12 km sitting event. She won silver medals in the
6 km sitting biathlon event and the
12.5 km sitting biathlon event.
Masters won the silver medal in the women's 6km sitting biathlon event at the
2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships held in Lillehammer, Norway.
She also won the bronze medal in the women's 10km sitting biathlon event.
In cross-country skiing, she won the gold medal in the women's long-distance sitting event.
Masters won her first Paralympic gold medal in biathlon at the
2022 Winter Paralympics
The 2022 Winter Paralympics (), commonly known as Beijing 2022 (), was an international winter multi-sport parasports event held in Beijing, China from 4 to 13 March 2022. This was the 13th Winter Paralympic Games, as administered by the Inte ...
in the 6 km sitting biathlon event.
Masters has twice been nominated for an
ESPY
An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...
for her
Nordic skiing
Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the Ski binding, binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe ...
in the category of Best Female Athlete with a Disability.
Cycling career
Masters has won two bronze World Cup medals and a bronze medal at the UCI Para-Cycling Worlds.
She competed in
hand-cycling events in the
2016 Paralympic Games
)
, nations = 159
, athletes = 4,342
, opening = 7 September
, closing = 18 September
, opened_by = President Michel Temer
, cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva
, events = 528 in 22 sports
, stadium = Maracanã
, sum ...
in Rio, where she placed 4th in the road race event and 5th in the timed trial.
At the
2020 Paralympic Games
The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, was an international multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the International Paralymp ...
in Tokyo she finished first in the time trial and the road race, her first Paralympic gold medals at the Summer Games.
Media appearances
Masters' life story has been featured in a number of media sources, including ''Spirit'',
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co., typically referred to as Southwest, is one of the major airlines of the United States and the world's largest low-cost carrier. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has scheduled service to 121 destinations in the U ...
' in-flight magazine
and ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''.
She was also named one of the "11 Hottest Paralympic Athletes" by ''msn NOW'',
was named one of ten U.S. athletes to watch by ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'',
and posed nude for ''
ESPN The Magazine's'' annual "
Body Issue
''The Body Issue'' is an edition of ''ESPN The Magazine'' that features dozens of athletes in nude and semi-nude photographs, which is intended to rival the annual Swimsuit Issue from ''Sports Illustrated''. The first issue debuted on October 19, ...
".
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
featured her in a "Making a difference. One app at a time." video, where she explains how her life changed with
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
apps.
iOS – Making a difference. One app at a time.
Retrieved July 7, 2013.
References
External links
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*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Masters, Oksana
1989 births
Living people
American female rowers
Paralympic gold medalists for the United States
Paralympic silver medalists for the United States
Paralympic bronze medalists for the United States
Rowers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Sportspeople from Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine
Paralympic rowers of the United States
Sportspeople from Louisville, Kentucky
American adoptees
American amputees
American disabled sportspeople
Ukrainian emigrants to the United States
Atherton High School alumni
Cross-country skiers at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
Cross-country skiers at the 2018 Winter Paralympics
Cross-country skiers at the 2022 Winter Paralympics
Biathletes at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
Biathletes at the 2018 Winter Paralympics
Biathletes at the 2022 Winter Paralympics
Medalists at the 2014 Winter Paralympics
Medalists at the 2018 Winter Paralympics
Medalists at the 2022 Winter Paralympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic cyclists of the United States
Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
American female cyclists
American female biathletes
Paralympic biathletes of the United States
Paralympic cross-country skiers of the United States
Laureus World Sports Awards winners
Paralympic medalists in cross-country skiing
Paralympic medalists in biathlon
Paralympic medalists in cycling
Paralympic medalists in rowing
DeVry University alumni
21st-century American women
Cyclists from Kentucky
20th-century American women