Oksana Masters

Oksana was born Oksana Alexandrovna Bondarchuk ({{langx|uk|Оксана Олександрівна Бондарчук|{{transliteration|uk|ukrainian|Oksana Oleksandrivna Bondarchuk}}}}) in 1989, in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, three years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, with several radiation-induced birth defects,{{cite news |last=Holm |first=Jeremy |title=Opinion: Let's not forget about Team USA's other half |newspaper=KSL.com |location=Salt Lake City |publisher=Deseret Digital Media |date=August 25, 2012 |url=http://www.ksl.com/?sid=21725214&nid=335 |access-date=September 11, 2012}}{{Cite news |title='Chernobyl made me an orphan. I don't let it define me' |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/50220303 |access-date=March 5, 2022}} including tibial hemimelia which resulted in different leg lengths, missing weight-bearing shinbones in her calves, webbed fingers with no thumbs, and six toes on each foot.{{cite news |last=Rosenberg |first=Michael |title=The Marine And The Orphan |newspaper=Sports Illustrated |publisher=Time Inc. |date=August 27, 2012 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1205291/1/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902010534/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1205291/1/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 2, 2012 |access-date=September 11, 2012}} She was abandoned by her birth parents, and given to a Ukrainian orphanage; she would continue to transition to two more orphanages until age 7.{{Cite news |last1=Dart |first1=Tom |last2=@Tom_Dart |date=July 9, 2020 |title='I was lucky to make it out the orphanage': Oksana Masters' extraordinary journey |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jul/09/oksana-masters-paralympics |access-date=September 27, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}} In the orphanages she was frequently beaten and raped by men, sometimes more than once a day. The women who worked there pretended not to notice.{{Cite web |title=370: Finding Your Superpower in a World of Adversity |url=https://findingmastery.com/podcasts/oksana-masters/ |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=Finding Mastery |language=en-US}}

In the orphanage, Oksana witnessed another orphan girl, her best friend Lainey, be murdered. The children in the orphanage were always on the brink of starvation and malnutrition. One night Lainey and Oksana snuck out to get food, but Oksana slipped and hit a chair. Men hearing the noise found Lainey. Oksana managed to hide but heard them hit Lainey six times. Her best friend died as a result of the trauma she received.

After she turned 7, Oksana was adopted by Gay Masters, an unmarried American professor of communication disorders with no biological children.{{cite news |last=Cengel |first=Katya |title=Oksana |newspaper=Spirit |publisher=Southwest Airlines |url=http://www.test.katyacengel.com/Resources/Katya_Cengel_Oksana.pdf |access-date=September 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013204818/http://www.test.katyacengel.com/Resources/Katya_Cengel_Oksana.pdf |archive-date=October 13, 2013}}

After moving to the United States in 1997, Oksana had both of her legs 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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.oksanamastersusa.com/about-me/ |title=About Me: Oksana Masters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805145001/http://www.oksanamastersusa.com/about-me/ |archive-date=August 5, 2016 |url-status=dead}} Oksana also had surgery to modify her fingers on each hand so they could function as thumbs.

When Masters arrived in the U.S., her mother was a professor at the University at Buffalo; she moved to Louisville, Kentucky in 2001 when her mother took a faculty position at the University of Louisville,{{cite press release |url=https://www.uoflphysicians.com/news-room/daughter-louisville-physician-go-gold-2014-winter-paralympics |title=Daughter of Louisville physician to go for gold at 2014 Winter Paralympics |publisher=University of Louisville Physicians |date=March 6, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806213820/https://www.uoflphysicians.com/news-room/daughter-louisville-physician-go-gold-2014-winter-paralympics}} and graduated from the city's Atherton High School in 2008.{{cite news |url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20140309/SPORTS18/303090028/Louisville-s-Oksana-Masters-wins-milestone-silver-medal-Winter-Paralympics-skiing |title=Louisville's Oksana Masters wins milestone silver medal in Winter Paralympics skiing |first=Glenn |last=Brownstein |newspaper=The Courier-Journal |date=March 9, 2014 |access-date=March 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140310200100/http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20140309/SPORTS18/303090028/Louisville-s-Oksana-Masters-wins-milestone-silver-medal-Winter-Paralympics-skiing |archive-date=March 10, 2014}}

File:Oksana Masters Rob Jones Belgrade World Rowing Cup 2012.jpg

Masters began adaptive rowing 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, setting a world record in the process. She was also the first adaptive sculler 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 veteran who lost both legs to an IED explosion in Afghanistan. Masters and Jones called themselves "Team Bad Company"{{cite news |last=Jackman |first=Tom |title=Lovettsville's Rob Jones to compete in rowing in London Paralympic games |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 30, 2012 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-state-of-nova/post/lovettsvilles-rob-jones-to-compete-in-rowing-in-london-paralympic-games/2012/08/30/a32ba94c-f229-11e1-adc6-87dfa8eff430_blog.html |access-date=September 11, 2012}} 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 and cross country skiing.[https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/05/16/paralympian-oksana-masters-pursues-cycling-spot-rio/84184832/] Paralympian Oksana Masters pursues cycling spot – USA Today Sports Retrieved May 17, 2016.

File:Oksana Masters.JPG

Following her medal win in rowing at the 2012 Paralympics, Masters took up cross-country skiing. At the 2014 Winter Paralympics 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.{{Cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/para-nordic-skiing/athletes/Oksana-Masters |title=Oksana Masters |website=TeamUSA.org |publisher=United States Olympic Committee |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011210058/http://www.teamusa.org/para-nordic-skiing/athletes/Oksana-Masters |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 11, 2014}}

Masters won her first Paralympic gold medal at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in the 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.{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/03/14/2018-paralympics-after-setbacks-oksana-masters-wins-gold/425167002/ |title=2018 Paralympics: After setbacks, Oksana Masters wins gold |work=USA TODAY |access-date=March 16, 2018 |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=https://paralympic.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-oksana-masters-sprint |title=Oksana Masters claims her first Paralympic gold at Pyeongchang 2018 |website=Paralympic.org |access-date=March 16, 2018}} 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.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/09/sports/paralympics-oksana-masters.html |title=Oksana Masters's Road From a Ukrainian Orphanage to Paralympic Stardom |last=Parker-Pope |first=Tara |date=March 9, 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=March 10, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2018/03/09/2018-paralympics-oksana-masters-medal-favorite-six-events/405194002/ |title=2018 Paralympics: Oksana Masters' attitude, strength make her medal favorite in six events |work=USA TODAY |access-date=March 10, 2018 |language=en}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/oksana-masters-still-baby-biathlon-poised-paralympic-gold |title=Oksana Masters, still a 'baby' in biathlon, poised for Paralympic gold |work=NBC Olympics |access-date=March 10, 2018 |language=en |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310100402/https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/oksana-masters-still-baby-biathlon-poised-paralympic-gold}}

Masters won the silver medal in the women's 6{{nbsp}}km sitting biathlon event at the 2021 World Para Snow Sports Championships held in Lillehammer, Norway.{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=Michael |date=15 January 2022 |title=Russians take biathlon golds at World Para Snow Sports Championships |work=InsideTheGames.biz |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1117842/world-para-snow-sports-champs-3 |access-date=15 January 2022}}{{Cite news |date=15 January 2022 |title=Clean podium sweeps for RPC and Ukraine on Para biathlon's opening day |work=Paralympic.org |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/clean-podium-sweeps-rpc-and-ukraine-para-biathlon-s-opening-day |access-date=15 January 2022}} She also won the bronze medal in the women's 10{{nbsp}}km sitting biathlon event.{{Cite news |date=16 January 2022 |title=Belarus' Yury Holub reigns supreme for second gold medal despite icy slip |work=Paralympic.org |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/belarus-yury-holub-reigns-supreme-second-gold-medal-despite-icy-slip |access-date=16 January 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=Michael |date=16 January 2022 |title=Russian trio win again in biathlon at the World Para Snow Sports Championships |work=InsideTheGames.biz |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1117882/world-para-snow-sports-champs-4 |access-date=16 January 2022}} In cross-country skiing, she won the gold medal in the women's long-distance sitting event.{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=Michael |date=18 January 2022 |title=Masters wins first gold of World Para Snow Sports Championships |work=InsideTheGames.biz |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1117950/world-para-snow-sports-champs-6 |access-date=18 January 2022}}{{Cite news |date=18 January 2022 |title=USA's Oksana Masters claims 10th world title days after recovering from COVID |work=Paralympic.org |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/usa-s-oksana-masters-claims-10th-world-title-days-after-recovering-covid |access-date=18 January 2022}}

Masters won her first Paralympic gold medal in biathlon at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in the 6 km sitting biathlon event.{{Cite web |last=OlympicTalk |date=March 5, 2022 |title=Oksana Masters wins first U.S. gold of Winter Paralympics |url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2022/03/04/oksana-masters-paralympics-biathlon/ |access-date=March 5, 2022 |website=OlympicTalk | NBC Sports |language=en-US}}

Masters has twice been nominated for an ESPY for her Nordic skiing in the category of Best Female Athlete with a Disability.{{Cite web |url=http://agm.us/oksana-masters-rio-2016/ |title=Oksana Masters |website=agm.us}}

Masters has won two green World Cup medals and a bronze medal at the UCI Para-Cycling Worlds. She competed in hand-cycling events in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, where she placed 4th in the road race event and 5th in the timed trial. At the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo she finished first in the time trial and the road race, her first Paralympic gold medals at the Summer Games.

In the 2024 Paris Paralympic games, Masters again won double gold in the Women's H4-5 Individual Time Trial as well as the H5 road race. In the road race, Masters broke away in the final kilometer from a pack of 3 other riders to win. The drama came from China's rider who refused repeatedly to take her turn at the front of the pack.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/oksana-masters_2487472 |title=MASTERS Oksana |work=Paris 2024 Paralympics}} ([https://www.paralympic.org/en/paris-2024-paralympics/athlete/oksana-masters_2487472 alternate link], [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024-paralimpicos/atleta/oksana-masters_2487472 alternate link 2])

Masters is in a relationship with American paralympian Aaron Pike.{{Cite journal |title=WATCH: US Star Oksana Masters Shares a Heartwarming Moment With Boyfriend Aaron Pike at Beijing Winter Paralympics 2022 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.13072/midss.267 |access-date=September 27, 2023 |website=Romantic Partner Conflict Scale (RPCS) |doi=10.13072/midss.267}} {{dead link|date=November 2023}}

Masters' life story has been featured in a number of media sources, including Spirit, Southwest Airlines' in-flight magazine and Sports Illustrated. She was also named one of the "11 Hottest Paralympic Athletes" by msn NOW,{{cite web |title=Meet the 11 hottest Paralympic athletes |publisher=msn NOW |date=August 24, 2012 |url=http://now.msn.com/see-11-of-the-hottest-paralympic-athletes |access-date=September 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827000621/http://now.msn.com/see-11-of-the-hottest-paralympic-athletes |archive-date=August 27, 2012}} was named one of ten U.S. athletes to watch by The Guardian,{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Graham |title=Paralympics 2012: 10 US athletes to watch in London |newspaper=The Guardian |publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited |date=August 24, 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/aug/24/paralympics-2012-us-athletes-to-watch-london |access-date=September 11, 2012}} and posed nude for ESPN The Magazine's annual "The Body Issue".{{Cite news |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1261357-espn-body-issue-2012-best-quotes-from-the-athletes-who-posed-for-the-mag |title=ESPN Body Issue 2012: Best Quotes from the Athletes Who Posed for the Mag |website=Bleacher Report |last1=Rapp |first1=Timothy}} Apple featured her in a "Making a difference. One app at a time." video, where she explains how her life changed with iOS apps.[https://www.apple.com/ios/videos/#developers iOS – Making a difference. One app at a time.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703010757/http://www.apple.com/ios/videos/#developers |date=July 3, 2016 | url-status=dead}} Retrieved July 7, 2013.

• The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph Hardcover – 21 Feb. 2023.{{Cite book |url=https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-Hard-Parts/Oksana-Masters/9781398519923 |title=The Hard Parts |date=February 21, 2023 |isbn=978-1-3985-1992-3 |language=en |last1=Masters |first1=Oksana |publisher=Scribner}}

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• {{World Rowing}}
• {{Team USA|new_id=oksana-masters-803196|old_id=MA/Oksana-Masters|archive=20230610181129}}
• {{IPC}}
• [https://www.paralympic.org/tokyo-2020/athletes?individualId=877a521a-4dd0-35b0-b1bd-d30a9450e7e4 Oksana Masters at the IPC Tokyo 2020 website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117033423/https://www.paralympic.org/tokyo-2020/athletes?individualId=877a521a-4dd0-35b0-b1bd-d30a9450e7e4 |date=November 17, 2023 }}

{{Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Masters, Oksana}}

Category:1989 births

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