Gay Masters adopted Oksana Masters when she was a 7-year-old girl living in an orphanage in Ukraine. Upon arriving in the United States, Oksana faced serious health problems, malnutrition, and deformities that marked her early years, but her new mother decided to stand by her without counting the sacrifices.
Over time, Gay even used part of her retirement savings to support her daughter’s athletic dream. Before Oksana knew how far she could go, her mother was already betting on her, funding training, travel, and opportunities that seemed distant for a girl who had grown up with limitations.
Oksana ultimately became one of the great Paralympic figures in the United States, with 19 medals in different disciplines. Every final lap of her races has an intimate destination: the woman who adopted her, supported her, and believed in her before everyone else.
