Oksana Masters
Oksana Masters is one interesting athlete as she competes in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. She has represented the United States in three different sports: rowing, Nordic skiing, and handcycling. In 2012, she took home the bronze in rowing at the London Olympics. She later went on to win Paralympic silver and bronze in cross-country skiing. Oksana was born in Ukraine with radiation-related birth defects. These included different leg lengths. She was also missing weight-bearing shinbones, had webbed fingers, no thumbs, and six toes on each foot. Sadly, she was abandoned at birth by her parents and left in a Ukrainian orphanage. At seven, this extraordinary little girl was adopted by an American and brought home to the United States. Then she had to endure several surgeries, including leg amputations, in order to give her the best chance and life. Clearly she has thrived as one amazing athlete.
