Most would have stopped dreaming if they had a tough early life like Oksana Masters, but the 36-year-old fought against all the odds and made it to the top of the world once again recently.

The Team USA veteran secured her 20th Paralympic medal on March 7, a gold, after besting all other competitors in the sprint sitting discipline in para biathlon at the Milan Cortina.

This medal also marks her tenth overall Paralympic gold, along with being the third in para biathlon. Masters finished with a time of 21:21.3, 16 seconds ahead of the first runner-up, Kendall Gretsch, who is also a Team USA member.

Masters was born in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, in 1989 and spent the initial part of her childhood in orphanages. She had radiation-related birth effects suspected to be caused by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, leading her to lose both of her legs.

Gay Masters, a professor from Louisville, Kentucky, adopted her at the age of 7 in 1997. She started her career as an athlete at the age of 13, taking up rowing.

Masters still suffers from injuries related to her since birth, as most recently, ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics, the American announced that a bone infection had resurfaced in her leg, the same one that took her completely out last season.

“I don’t know what kind of skier I’ll be when I race again in a few days, but I know I’ll be one who fought to get back.” Masters said.

And that is exactly what the most decorated Winter Paralympian ended up doing.

However, there's one person who constantly supports her in all of her fights.

Power Couple Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike Always Have Each Other's Back

Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike have competed in the Paralympics together four times. The two share a rich 12-year history in which they got engaged in 2019.

“I’m so lucky having my family, my partner, my better half, my calmer half. He keeps me calm when I’m anxious or overthinking everything. Every morning at training camps, spending time together before training, it’s really fun. Especially beating you on the uphills,” Masters said in an exclusive interview with Olympics.com.

Pike has always been supportive of her goals and has stated how much he enjoys her company. The duo also cherishes training together in the winter mountains, maybe because Pike proposed to Masters there.

“Being around her, and having that person where there’s no hesitation to open up, to express how you’re feeling or how things are going. You don’t hold back, it’s your person. Having that on the road is hard to measure. We both understand, we both get it,” the 39-year-old said.

So, with such a strong support system behind her, do you expect Masters to bring more glory to The Land of the Free?

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Souvik Roy