Oksana Masters cruised to a gold medal Tuesday in her classification of a hand-cycle time trial in Tokyo. It was her ninth career Paralympics medal and third of the gold variety.
Masters, 32, who shuffled between Ukrainian orphanages as a youth with birth defects believed to be from the aftermath of Chernobyl, the world's worst nuclear accident, displayed her resiliency and determination en route to another honor in a storied career.
"All the stuff that was ingrained in my younger self, are also the reasons why I've been able to, with the support of so many people behind me, get to where I am today," said Masters, who as a malnourished orphan was eventually adopted by her American mom. "I'm hoping that my journey is helping inspire that next young girl."
Masters was to compete in a road race later Tuesday as the Paralympic Games continued.
"It's not about the medals," she said. "It's not about anything else except leaving a legacy, being one example for that young girl to see."
She's well on her way to accomplishing that, both in and out of competition. She recently, in fact, partnered with a deodorant brand as part of a campaign called "Watch Me" that encourages young girls to stay in sports by providing resources and support. There were murals placed in New York City, Philadelphia and Atlanta that feature Ashleigh Johnson (water polo), Chiney Ogwumike (WNBA), Chelsea Wolfe (BMX), Alex Morgan (women's soccer) and Masters.
"There's so much power when you're able to have something that you can look at and see and be like, 'OK, it's here. It's doable,'" Masters said. "I've always been about seeing is believing, and when you can see something, you can be it and achieve it."
So far, so good in Tokyo.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Oksana Masters, 32, continues Paralympics dominance, takes gold in Tokyo hand-cycle time trial - ESPN
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