OKSANA MASTERS DOES not take no for an answer. She also does not take yes for an answer. Who do you think you are, giving her the answers?
Surely, you’re no better than the doctors who told her, in 2013, that her Paralympic rowing career was over. Masters, now 28, had won a bronze medal in the trunk-and-arms mixed double skulls at the 2012 Paralympics, and she wanted to win gold in ’16. Now she was told she had spondylolisthesis. One of her vertebrae kept sliding forward, rubbing against the one below when she moved from side to side.
So that was it, the doctors said: She could not row anymore. She didn’t believe them. “I’m just stupid and too headstrong,” she says.
Masters wanted to stay in shape for the rowing career that was supposedly over, so she took up skiing. For the first three days, “I was horrible. I could not stay upright past 100 metres,” she says. A year later she won silver and bronze in cross-country skiing at the 2014 Paralympics in Sochi. Well, that’s one way to stay in shape.
Masters then went home to Louisville to see if she could resume her rowing career. Doctors replied: Duh. They had been through this already. Her body could not make the motions necessary to row with spondylolisthesis.
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hockey World Cup- India Gears Up For Glory
Hosts India will have to play out of their skins to win their second Hockey Men’s World Cup title.
The Drive For Consistency
Find something you love doing and use that to fall in love with your body, so you can embrace change and sustain a pattern that lets you unlock the best version of yourself
The Phenomenon
Kevin Pietersen may have retired from playing, but he will remain a part of the game and Test cricket folklore for a long time
Powering The Action
The IPL is intense. Players let off the fireworks on the pitch, but it is the coaches and support staff that light the fuses. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED traces the evolution of this critical aspect of the game, and why Indians still need to make a mark
A Steep Learning Curve
Making the transition from the junior level to the senior team has been quite challenging but a hugely rewarding experience.
Scorecard - Don't Blame It on Rio
Apathy towards the Olympics could cast golf in a negative light and jeo paradise its standing with the IOC for the 2024 Games and beyond.
Bench Strength
With the Likes of Nair, Yadav, Jadhav and Chahal Performing With Maturity Over the Past Year, Team India’s Bench Strength Looks Strong Ahead of the Champions Trophy.
Sir Roger Bannister (1929-2018)
A legend in his own time, Sir Roger was most proud of his neurology research but his historic sub-four mile run in 1954 is still regarded as one of his best breakthroughs
Battle Ready
A star-studded Indian contingent seeks to reshape its approach with rising talent, even as seasoned warriors in badminton, weight-lifting, shooting and wrestling aim for gold
Safe Passage
The Dustup That Marred the Return of Chris Paul to L.a. Has Faded. As the Point God Settles Into a New Home, He Has a New Running Buddy and a Group of Teammates Who Feel Like a Family
