Oksana Masters is a 17-time Paralympic medalist and the most decorated American winter Olympic or Paralympic athlete ever. You’ve likely seen her grace the covers of publications such as Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and the Players Tribune. But what you may not know about Oksana is that she’s also a published author and has one of the most compelling stories in sports.
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I recently had the chance to sit down with her to discuss her new book ‘The Hard Parts: From Chernobyl to Paralympic Champion—My Story of Achieving the Extraordinary‘, the journey it shares and how it can inspire others to develop courage, strength and determination despite all odds.
Originally from Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, she is a survivor of utero radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl disaster. Oksana was born with a number of physical impairments, including one kidney, webbed fingers, six toes on each foot, a partial stomach, no right bicep and no thumbs. Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, while both were missing tibias. Abandoned by parents unable to accept the reality of her condition, Oksana lived her early childhood in Ukraine’s state-run orphanage system. She moved three times before being adopted by an American family at the age of seven.
But despite this life-changing opportunity, the hardship was far from over. Within the course of the following seven years, Oksana endured a series of health challenges and surgeries, including a double leg amputation. Yet in the face of these difficult circumstances, Oksana was determined to make something of her life. She excelled in academics, competed at the highest level of sports on both an international and Paralympic stage, and made history along the way.
The Willingness to Try
A common theme in Oksana’s story is her willingness to try. Even the face of many doors closing in her face, she got up even more determined to open the next one. From an early age, it seemed society had already written what it thought about her.
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But why? Oksana’s view is that nothing is decided before you try it. By daring to take on seemingly impossible tasks, you learn more about yourself, and add to the tool bag of traits that you can apply later in life.
Her multidisciplinary sports career is a great example of this. While most people would consider one Olympic team enough, she has competed in rowing, cross-country skiing, road cycling and biathlon, racking up more medals than any other American winter Olympian or Paralympian in history.
Despite the support of her coaches, there were some who doubted Oksana’s abilities. However, instead of letting their skepticism get to her, she used it as motivation to prove them wrong. She worked tirelessly to improve her skills and show everyone that she was capable of achieving great things. We can all live life on our own terms.
Healing Invisible Scars
It’s hard to imagine the kind of strength it takes to get up every morning and attempt something that most people would deem impossible for someone like Oksana. But she’s adamant that she’s not as strong as people make her out to be.
She says that the biggest challenge she faced was learning to love herself and believe in her own worth, which despite being something we can all relate to, took her years of additional emotional work.
Oksana admits that she didn’t love herself when she was younger – she hated where she came from, and it wasn’t until very recently that she accepted herself for who she is. Even though she was using her tools and was determined, the superwoman we see today didn’t happen overnight.
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Sport would ultimately be her therapy and the biggest facilitator of her self-acceptance. For Oksana, slowly pushing through her own physical and mental limits was a process of healing that allowed her to come to terms with both the physical and invisible scars of her past.
The solitude she found in being alone on the water at 13 was just the beginning of her journey to finding self-love and self-acceptance.
Hardship Isn’t Your Forever Moment – It’s Your Superpower
As traumatic as it was, Oksana admits that her early childhood had a major role in developing her into who she is today. She believes that her resiliency, determination and ambition for life are all products of the environment she grew up in.
Waking up every day and being grateful that you’ve done so is a gift, one that not many people get to experience. Oksana also realizes that she’s extremely privileged to have even been adopted and sees it as a reason to make her life count.
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In this respect, hardship may have put Oksana through temporary pain, but is ultimately what has fueled her success. And she makes a point of saying that she is in no way special – everyone has the potential to use their difficult circumstances to make something amazing out of it.
In the end, Oksana Masters’ message is really quite simple: no matter how daunting a challenge may seem, it’s always worth the effort to try. With a strong support team, an open mind and all the courage you can muster – anything is possible.
I highly encourage giving her new book, ‘The Hard Parts: From Chernobyl to Paralympic Champion—My Story of Achieving the Extraordinary’ a read if you’re looking for more information about her life and inspiring journey.
Enjoy!
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