LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An athlete who grew up in Louisville has been named the 2019 Team USA Female Paralympic Athlete of the Year.
Oksana Masters, an Atherton grad, was awarded the honor by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee in Colorado at the Team USA Awards on November 19.
"I still can't believe tonight was real," Masters said in a tweet.
In 2019, Masters earned 8 World Championship medals, two in cycling and six in Nordic skiing. She now has a total of 16 World Championship medals and is an eight-time Paralympic medalist.
According to her bio on TeamUSA.org, Masters was born in Ukraine with both of her legs damaged due to in-utero radiation poisoning from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor incident. She lived in three orphanages before she was adopted at the age of 7. She brought home her first Paralympic medal in 2012. She has competed in rowing, Nordic skiing, and cycling.
Masters was honored alongside Simone Biles, who was named Female Athlete of the Year after record-setting performances this year. The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team was also honored as the 2019 Olympic Team of the Year after winning its fourth overall World Cup title this year.
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