|
Showing 1 - 4 of
4 matches in All Departments
"A gut-wrenching, wildly inspiring story about overcoming the most
daunting obstacles through steely tenacity, sheer will, and a great
big dose of motherly love." --Jeannette Walls, #1 New York Times
bestselling author of The Glass Castle An inspirational and
powerful memoir from the United States's most decorated winter
Paralympic or Olympic athlete, The Hard Parts is Oksana Masters
gripping account of overcoming extraordinary Chernobyl
disaster-caused physical challenges to create a life that
challenges everyone to push through what is holding them back.
Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine--in the shadow of
Chernobyl--seemingly with the odds stacked against her. She came
into the world with one kidney, a partial stomach, six toes on each
foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep, and no thumbs. Her left leg
was six inches shorter than her right, and she was missing both
tibias. Relinquished to the orphanage system by birth parents
daunted by the staggering cost of what would be their child's
medical care, Oksana encountered numerous abuses, some horrifying.
Salvation came at age seven when Gay Masters, an unmarried American
professor who saw a photo of the little girl and became haunted by
her eyes, waged a two-year war against stubborn adoption
authorities to rescue Oksana from her circumstances. In America,
Oksana endured years of operations that included a double leg
amputation. Still, how could she hope to fit in when there were so
many things making her different? As it turned out, she would do
much more than fit in. Determined to prove herself and fueled by a
drive to succeed that still smoldered from childhood, Oksana
triumphed in not just one sport but four--winning against the
world's best in elite rowing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and
road cycling competitions. Now considered one of the world's top
athletes, she is the recipient of seventeen Paralympic medals, the
most of any US athlete of the Winter Games, Paralympic or Olympic.
Oksana's astonishing story of journeying through a series of dark
tunnels is "as true a tale of grit as I've ever heard, with a
message filled with triumph and beauty--that what doesn't kill us
makes us stronger, if we are loved" (Angela Duckworth, New York
Times bestselling author of Grit).
The remarkable and inspirational story of Oksana Masters, who was
born with radiation-induced birth defects and suffered appalling
abuse as an orphan, before being adopted and moving to the US,
where she went on to triumph over her challenges to win seventeen
Paralympic medals in four different sports. Oksana Masters was born
in the shadow of Chernobyl, with one kidney, a partial stomach, six
toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep and no thumbs.
Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, and she was
missing both tibias. Relinquished to the orphanage system by birth
parents daunted by the staggering cost of their child's medical
care, Oksana encountered numerous abuses, some horrifying.
Salvation came at the age of seven when Gay Masters, an unmarried
American professor who saw a photo of the little girl and became
haunted by her eyes, waged a two-year war against stubborn adoption
authorities to rescue Oksana from her circumstances. In America,
Oksana endured years of operations that included a double leg
amputation. Still, how could she hope to fit in when there were so
many things making her different? As it turned out, she would do
much more than fit in. Determined to prove herself and fuelled by a
drive to succeed that still smouldered from childhood, Oksana
triumphed in not just one sport but four - winning against the
world's best in rowing, biathlon, cross-country skiing and road
cycling competitions. This is Oksana's astonishing story of
journeying through a series of dark tunnels - and how, with her
mother's love, she finally found her way into the light. Her
message to anyone who doesn't fit in: you can find a place where
you excel and where you have worth.
The remarkable and inspirational story of Oksana Masters, who was
born with radiation-induced birth defects and suffered appalling
abuse as an orphan, before being adopted and moving to the US,
where she went on to triumph over her challenges to win ten
Paralympic medals in four different sports. Oksana Masters was born
in the shadow of Chernobyl, with one kidney, a partial stomach, six
toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep and no thumbs.
Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, and she was
missing both tibias. Relinquished to the orphanage system by birth
parents daunted by the staggering cost of their child's medical
care, Oksana encountered numerous abuses, some horrifying.
Salvation came at the age of seven when Gay Masters, an unmarried
American professor who saw a photo of the little girl and became
haunted by her eyes, waged a two-year war against stubborn adoption
authorities to rescue Oksana from her circumstances. In America,
Oksana endured years of operations that included a double leg
amputation. Still, how could she hope to fit in when there were so
many things making her different? As it turned out, she would do
much more than fit in. Determined to prove herself and fuelled by a
drive to succeed that still smouldered from childhood, Oksana
triumphed in not just one sport but four - winning against the
world's best in rowing, biathlon, cross-country skiing and road
cycling competitions. This is Oksana's astonishing story of
journeying through a series of dark tunnels - and how, with her
mother's love, she finally found her way into the light. Her
message to anyone who doesn't fit in: you can find a place where
you excel and where you have worth.
|
|