The ESPN Body Issue series which began hitting newsstands has certainly gathered the interest of sports fans and the general public alike. Oksana Masters (photos below) is one of the most interesting choices for the semi-nude pictures contained in the series because she happens to be a double-amputee participant competing in the a Paralympic Games as a rower later this summer. Let’s meet her.
Photo: Oksana Masters
Gallery at bottom.
There was a time a generation ago where special needs individuals were shunned by the public in a society that wanted them to be unseen and unheard. The handicapped lobby began to change public perception decades ago by lobbying lawmakers and generating publicity through actors in the entertainment industry, including promotion of the Special Olympics. It could not have been imagined how successful those efforts would eventually become.
Now just a single generation later, Oksana Masters stands at the apex of those efforts. She is not only accepted for her physical condition but is even celebrated for her sex appeal and physical excellence. Her message is that physically challenged people can be hot too, and we know that you will agree judging by her pictures.
Biography: Oksana Masters is originally from the Ukraine and was put up for adoption by her mother who was unable to care for her physical challenges. She suffered radiation poisoning in the womb which caused her to be born with deformities that required amputation of both legs above her knees. She was eventually adopted by a Canadian family before her eight birthday and eventually moved to the United States where she attended college at the University of Indiana.
The orphanage was one of the most memorable experiences of her young life for its squalid conditions. There was little food there to go around for the children who needed it so Oksana developed a tolerance for going days without eating, something she is still able to do today but not by virtue of necessity anymore.
Miss Masters began rowing as a teenager and quickly gained an international reputation in the sport, which for physically-challenged women like herself is called “adaptive rowing.” You can read more about her rowing credits here. Oksana and her partner Rob Jones will row their hearts out for Team USA in the London games.
Oksana’s Facebook page is here which is far more remarkable for what it is missing than what it includes, which is any mention of her handicap. On it she appears like any normal young woman who likes to party with her hot girlfriends, mug for the camera, and enjoy her life. As for her body assets, she stands a statuesque 5’8″ tall and weighs 125 pounds while wearing her prosthetic legs but her measurements are unknown. She is 23 years old with an entire life ahead of her which we can predict will be enjoyed to its fullest.
Kudos to Oksana Masters for her naked photos in the ESPN Body Issue. Few women would be brave enough to do it, but by doing so she has done so much to bring people who are “different” closer into the public’s acceptance of what is considered normal. She is such a hero. You can see her entire ESPN Body Issue gallery here and be sure to get the magazine because it is an all-time collector’s item.
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