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.
Best Fitness Games For Workout
If going to the gym and bulking up the body is your idea of getting in shape, it’s time you reconsider it. From bodyweight training to resistance and high-intensity workouts, here is how you can ace the fitness game without giving up on your workout targets for the year yet again.
Novak Djokovic Has Proved His Mettle Yet Again
Sport can be cruel and unforgiving, but it is also humbling. Over the years, many great athletes have succumbed to the various forces in playmost of which, if not all, are not under their controland while some could never reclaim their past glory, others showed why they really can never be counted out. Novak Djokovic is one of them
Do Virat Kohli's Captaincy Skills Call For A DRS?
No doubt Virat Kohli is the best batsman to have emerged from India in recent years. He is a lion among kittens, Atlas shouldering the weight of India's batting. But, as a captain overseas, he has a long way to go.
Lebron James
In 2016, Northeast Ohio’s Favourite Son Used His Incomparable Skills to Deliver a Title to a Suddenly Revitalised City, While Using His Voice to Have an Even Wider Impact.
Winter Workout: Hot Moves For Cold Days
With the advent of the chilly months, it can become tough to brave the cold and train when all you want to do is curl up under a warm blanket. Trainer Raoul Hirani and physiotherapist Tariq Wasim tell us how professional footballer keep going, without letting the cold play spoilsport.
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.
Rahul Dravid: The Great Wall Of India
Rahul Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket or, rather, the game, is not just confined to his record with the bat. A true philosopher, he continues to inspire as well as serve cricket on and off the field.
P.V. Sindhu, Sportsperson Of The Year
A Dream Run at the 2016 Olympics was followed by major successes on the International tour, making Sindhu the unanimous choice for the sportsperson of the Year award
