I was a troublemaker.
— Oksana Masters
I absolutely fell in love with being on the water and the peace and freedom that you get being on the water in a single boat.
I definitely went through a period where I don't want to say I hated myself, but I hated what I saw in the mirror. I would try to cover it up, and it wasn't until I started doing sports - until after London 2012 - that I kind of started getting more of that confidence in my body and appreciating my body.
It doesn't matter what kind of body you have, it's the determination and the spirit that's going to get you there. I want to prove that.
I'm stubborn; once I start something, I want to see how far I can go.
Sports were a way for me to get comfortable with my body. I learned to appreciate everything I could still do.
I am very lucky to be living my dream.
My hair is super fine, so I love using Batiste Dry Shampoo to give it volume after I shower and dry my hair. It also gives me extra body and texture for when I choose to wear my hair in a French braid.
Growing up in a very poor orphanage in Ukraine, there wasn't much food.
I'm just stupid and too headstrong.
The mind is really powerful.
I didn't find out about the Paralympics until I was 18 years old. Once I found out what the Paralympics were, I was so excited to know I had a chance to represent my country and wear Team U.S.A. on my back.
It's weird to not know what a family is. Not know what a mother's love is. And not really know what a hug is or anything.
I don't know why, but I love sunflowers, and I just have this vivid memory of being in a field of sunflowers and how they felt like trees. They felt so tall.
I think it is very unfortunate that there is a ban on adoptions in Russia.
I'm chasing that gold medal.
I never thought I'd be able to go back to Ukraine.
When I first had my legs amputated, it was hard for me to be positive and feel pretty. Many people don't know that someone with a disability can be strong and beautiful and successful as an athlete.
It was honestly like 'Annie.' One day I was alone in a cold, dark Eastern European orphanage, and then the next day I was in an enchanted, mystical land known as Walmart.
I was a super active kid, so I've always been aware of where my body is in space, and I think when I had my legs amputated, it makes you more aware of your body, and because I don't use my legs, I use more of my hands.
I'm a person that, once I start something, I can't just quit it.
In 2012, I was invited to a ski event called the Hartford Ski Spectacular to learn how to sit-ski for the first time. I loved it, but it was not pretty - I was not good. I didn't know how to stop, so I kept throwing myself on the ground.
Just keep moving forward.
I usually like to keep my hair and makeup routines pretty simple after I work out but always need a little bit of mascara to finish off the look. I just swipe some on and then am good to go for the rest of the day.
Cycling's primarily a pushing motion, and skiing is more pulling, so it kind of balances out the body.
I can go days without eating if I don't think about food. Your mind, to protect itself, learns not to pay attention to that hunger feeling.
You don't get any second chances.
The realization that I'm never going to run again, the feeling through my hair when you run... you're still a kid. You still have so much life to live.
I never in a million years thought I would be able to be a Paralympic athlete.
I could use a little more body, but I'm happy with it.
That's what I'm focused on, having that perfect race.
I'm a coffee lover.
I like to keep my hair and makeup routines easy and simple on race days.
I started doing sports when I was 13 and competitively doing sports - where I was actually training - when I was 17.
I am so proud to be Ukrainian, and I'm also so proud to be an American.
I definitely did not like my body when I first started sports. I didn't like my body just in general as a teenager. Being a girl and a teenager with two prosthetic legs and two hands that were misshapen that had so much reconstructive surgery on them, I thought my world was over - put a zit on top of that, and then my life is completely over.
They said if I stayed in the orphanage for another month or so, I basically would not have been able to be alive.
It's hard to understand the athlete's lifestyle. You literally eat, sleep, train. You go to training camps in the winter where there is no Internet, you can't make phone calls.
When you're using your upper body to live, you get to know how to move every muscle.
Sport has definitely been an outlet for me.
I use Olay Total Effects Tone Correcting CC Cream in place of foundation post-workout. I absolutely love that it's quick, easy, and something I can use on the go. It evens out my skin tone, provides SPF 15 protection, and leaves my skin feeling breathable, healthy, and moisturized.
I was born with legs, but they were so deformed.
It's insane going from skiing to cycling. Even though you are in prime shape, you feel like you have never worked out a day in your life.
I've gotten a lot of people saying. 'That is awesome. You're so brave.' I hate when people say brave. I'm not brave. I'm just living my life. Why is that brave?
In 2013, I had the chance to try cross-country skiing on snow and just fell in love with being in nature and how hard it was to pick up the sport. And the snow is sparkly.
I remember seeing the Olympics when I was 13. I always wanted to know how it felt to stand on top of the podium hearing your country's anthem while watching your flag being raised in something you poured your heart and soul into.
I was missing the main weight-bearing bone in both legs. And the left leg, I didn't have a full knee. It was a floating knee. I had six toes. My hands were webbed, and I also have one kidney. I don't have a full bicep on my right side. Thank God my hair didn't get ruined.
I was supposed to be adopted when I was five, but then my adoption was pushed back by two years.
Every single race that I get on the podium in biathlon, I'm shocked.
I am so happy I have been able to channel all the things that I went through when I was younger and make them into something positive.
