Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989 and faced numerous physical challenges due to utero radiation poisoning from Chernobyl. After living in three orphanages, Oksana was adopted at the age of seven. Over the course of seven years, she would have both legs amputated and endure a host of other surgeries. At age thirteen she began rowing and brought home the first of ten Paralympic medals in four different sports. In 2020, she won the Lareus World Sports Award in the category of "Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability." She has been featured in such publications as Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and the Players Tribune, and has appeared on numerous television programs, including Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. After the Beijing Paralympics in 2022, Oksana became the most decorated US Winter Paralympian or Olympian ever.
