Oksana Masters

Oksana Masters

At a glance

  • Sport: Para-cycling, Para Cross-country & Para-biathlon
  • Country: USA
  • Date of Birth: June 19, 1989

About the athlete

Oksana Masters is an American athlete who has competed in four different Paralympic sports: Para-rowing, Para Cross-country Skiing, Para-biathlon & Para-cycling. Born in Ukraine with radiation-induced birth defects resulting from the Chernobyl disaster, Masters was relinquished by her parents to live in an orphanage until adopted by an American woman at age 7.

She started adaptive rowing at age 13 as a single above knee amputee before having a second above knee amputation at age 14. Due to a back injury in 2013 that stopped her from rowing competitively, Oksana took up cycling during her recovery and as a tool to stay fit. She went on to qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, finishing fourth in the Para-cycling Road Race. During 2019, while juggling Cross-Country, Biathlon and Cycling, Masters pulled off a rare feat by becoming a 5x World Champion, the overall Nordic Cross Country World Title winner and won 2 Silver Medals at the Para-cycling World Championships.

At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Oksana brought home two Gold Medals, and a few months later, won five Winter World Championship Medals again. She also participated in the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games and collected seven Medals including three Golds and four Silvers. Later that summer, Oksana won her first two World Titles in Para-cycling. 

Notable achievements

  • Most decorated U.S. Winter Paralympian ever with 14 total Medals at Paralympic Winter Games)
  • Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games – 3 Gold Medals (4 x 2.5km Mixed Relay, 6km Sitting, 12.5km Sitting), 4 Silver Medals (15km Sitting, 1.5km Sprint Sitting, 10km Sitting, 10km Sitting Para-biathlon)
  • Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – 2 Gold Medals (Road Time Trial H4-5, Road Race H5)

Follow on Social