Oksana Masters wins five medals during 2026 Paralympic Winter Games

Oksana Masters won four gold medals and one bronze medal in cross-country skiing during the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan, making her the most decorated United States Winter Paralympian of all time and bringing her medal count to 24.

Part of what makes Master’s medal count so impressive is that she was battling an infection and a concussion during the games. However, these are far from the worst obstacles Masters has overcome to get to where she is today.

Key Takeaways:

• Paralympian Oksana Masters, who was adopted at age seven from Ukraine and brought to America, won four gold medals and one bronze medal in cross-country skiing this year. She now has 24 medals as the most decorated U.S. Winter Paralympian.

• When Masters was born, her parents were advised to send her to a government-run orphanage to give her the best chance at life. They were later told she had died, but she had been adopted.

• Masters has since located her birth parents and has written a memoir about her experiences in a Ukrainian orphanage and beyond.

The Backstory:

Adopted from Ukraine

Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989 with birth defects believed to have been caused by the Chernobyl disaster. These defects included webbed hands and Tibia Hemimilla, which means her tibia was missing. Eventually, she had to have both legs amputated and has endured several surgeries.

When Masters was born, her parents were advised that she would probably not live long and they were encouraged to send her to a government-run orphanage to give her the best chance at life.

Later, when her parents changed their minds and went back for her, they were told she had died.

In reality, Masters was adopted by an American woman at the age of seven, who rescued her from the abuse she was enduring in the orphanage. Masters speaks very highly of her adoptive mother, Gay Masters, crediting her for believing she could go after her dreams despite her disabilities.

At the age of 13, Masters discovered the sport of rowing and realized it was something she could excel at, that gave her a sense of freedom. From there she took off and participated in her first Paralympics games in 2012, where she won a bronze medal in a rowing event. Since then she has expanded her skills and participates in a variety of events, such as skiing and the biathlon.

Finding her birth family

During an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2024, Masters recounted how her birth family found out she was alive. During the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, the Ukrainian news did a deep dive on Masters, as she was starting to get attention for her skill.

Masters' birth mother was shocked to hear the name Oksana and from the details of her story, knew Masters was her daughter.

As of the time of this story, Masters has not met her birth family but is in contact with them. She learned that her parents did not want to give her up and that helped her forgive them. She also learned that she was named after her mother, Oksana.

In 2023 Masters released a memoir entitled, “The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph,” detailing the traumas she experienced in Ukrainian orphanages, the gift of being adopted, and her development as an athlete. The dedication states: “For my mom, whose love saved me. Thank you for sacrificing it all to give me the world and for opening every door for me.” 

The Bottom Line:

The story of Oksana Masters is a testament to the value of every human life and to the beautiful gift that adoption can be.