Oksana Masters

Oksana Masters was born in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, in 1989, three years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. She was born with birth defects affecting her hands and legs, including tibial hemimelia, webbed fingers with no thumbs, and six toes on each foot. Abandoned by her birth parents, she spent her early years in Ukrainian orphanages until she was adopted at age seven by Gay Masters, an American professor. After moving to the United States in 1997, Oksana underwent several surgeries, including the amputation of both her legs above the knee by age 14, and hand modifications to create functioning thumbs. She studied Management at DeVry University through the USOPC Career and Education program.

Masters began adaptive rowing at age 13 in 2002. She quickly excelled, setting a world record in the CRASH-B Sprints and becoming the first adaptive sculler to win the women’s open singles event at the Indianapolis Rowing Club “Head of the Eagle” regatta. Her rowing career culminated at the 2012 London Paralympics, where she and teammate Rob Jones won the United States’ first-ever medal in trunk and arms mixed double sculls, a bronze. Due to a back injury, she transitioned from rowing to cross-country skiing and hand-cycling. She has since competed in seven consecutive Paralympic Games, earning a total of 19 medals across both Summer and Winter Games. Masters published her book, “The Hard Parts: A Story of Courage and Triumph,” in February 2023.

Her career has been marked by significant milestones and continuous achievement across multiple disciplines. In Para Nordic Skiing and Biathlon, she earned multiple medals at the 2014 Sochi Winter Paralympics (two medals), the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics (five medals, including two golds), and the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics (seven medals, including three golds). In Para-Cycling, she achieved double gold at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympics and again at the 2024 Paris Summer Paralympics in the H4-5 Time Trial and H5 Road Race events. Her dominance in the Paralympic movement has led to her recognition as the most decorated U.S. Winter Paralympian of all time with 14 medals, and she was awarded the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in 2020.