Oksana Masters: Triumph Over Obstacles
Oksana Masters: Triumph Over Obstacles
Oksana Masters' life story is one of incredible resilience and determination. Born with severe birth defects due to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, she faced immense challenges from the very beginning. However, Oksana transformed these obstacles into opportunities, becoming a world-class athlete in multiple sports.
Early Life and Adoption
Born in Ukraine in 1989, Oksana spent her early years in an orphanage, suffering from radiation-induced birth defects. These included tibial hemimelia (absence of shinbones), missing weight-bearing bones in her feet, webbed fingers, and five toes on each foot. At the age of seven, she was adopted by Gay Masters, an American speech therapist. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in Oksana's life, one filled with love, support, and the chance to pursue her dreams.
Discovering Sports
Growing up in the United States, Oksana underwent numerous surgeries to address her physical challenges, including the amputation of both legs. Despite these difficulties, she was determined to live an active life. She began exploring different sports, starting with rowing. Her natural talent and unwavering dedication quickly became apparent.
From Rowing to Biathlon
- Resilience:
- The ability to recover quickly from difficulties.
- Biathlon:
- A sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.
- Perseverance:
- Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties.
- Paralympic:
- Games for athletes with disabilities
- amputation:
- The surgical removal of all or part of a body limb, such as an arm or a leg.
- daunting:
- Appearing extremely difficult to deal with, handle, or overcome; intimidating.
- advocate:
- To publicly support, speak in favor of, or work toward a specific cause or policy.
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Main Idea
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Structure
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What were some of the birth defects Oksana Masters was born with?
- 2Who adopted Oksana Masters, and at what age?
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About this biography passage for Middle School
“Oksana Masters: Triumph Over Obstacles” is a biography reading passage about Adaptive Sports, written for Middle School. It takes about 3 minutes to read (392 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.