Description: "The United States' most decorated winter Paralympic or Olympic athlete tells how she overcame Chernobyl disaster-caused physical challenges through sheer determination and a drive to succeed to win the world's best in elite rowing, biathlon, cross-countryskiing, and road cycling competitions."--
Brief description: Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989 and faced numerous physical challenges due to in utero radiation poisoning from Chernobyl. After living in three orphanages, she was adopted by an American mother at the age of seven. She is America's most decorated Winter Paralympian--a winner of seventeen medals in four sports. In 2020, she won the Laureus World Sports Award in the category of "Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability." Her story has appeared in numerous media outlets--from Sports Illustrated to The New York Times to the Players' Tribune--and she has participated in high fashion shoots for cosmetic and clothing lines created by such stars as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.
Review Quotes: "A gut-wrenching, wildly inspiring story about overcoming the most daunting obstacles through steely tenacity, sheer will, and a great big dose of motherly love."----Jeannette Walls, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle