The Hard Parts : A Story of Courage and Triumph - Oksana Masters

The Hard Parts

A Story of Courage and Triumph

By: Oksana Masters

Paperback | 19 April 2023

At a Glance

Paperback


RRP $34.99

$31.35

10%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $7.84 with

 or 
In Stock and Aims to ship in 1-2 business days

When will this arrive by?

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.

About the Author

Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine in 1989 and faced numerous physical challenges due to in utero radiation poisoning from Chernobyl. After living in three orphanages, she was adopted by an American mother at the age of seven. She is America’s most decorated Winter Paralympian a winner of seventeen medals in four sports. In 2020, she won the Laureus World Sports Award in the category of “Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.” Her story has appeared in numerous media outlets from Sports Illustrated to The New York Times to the Players’ Tribune she has participated in high fashion shoots for cosmetic and clothing lines created by such stars as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.
Industry Reviews
'Heart wrenching and extraordinaryThe Hard Parts is a remarkable memoir of coping with trauma, but it's mostly about courage and achieving the impossible. I'm completely in awe of Oksana and her resilience – what an inspiration.'

Other Editions and Formats

Hardcover

Published: 21st January 2023

More in Autobiographies

Big Garden Design : The making of beautiful country gardens - Paul Bangay
Night : Penguin Modern Classics - Elie Wiesel

RRP $22.99

$17.75

23%
OFF
The Last Lecture : Lessons in Living - Randy Pausch
The Showman - Glenn Maxwell

Paperback

RRP $36.99

$33.25

10%
OFF
Showing Up : Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - Nedd Brockmann
Sociopath : A Memoir - Patric Gagne

$24.99

Heartstrong : Chumpy, Minnie & Me - Ellidy Pullin

RRP $24.99

$23.75

Letters From A Stoic : Collins Classics - Lucius Seneca
Trouwerner - Patsy Cameron

Paperback

RRP $34.99

$31.75

Autobiography of a Yogi (Self-Realization Fellowship) - Paramahansa Yogananda
Paul Bangay : A life in garden design - Paul Bangay

RRP $79.99

$53.35

33%
OFF
Malta A Childhood Under Siege - Linda Peek
Girl, Interrupted : Virago Modern Classics - Susanna Kaysen

RRP $26.99

$17.75

34%
OFF
The Happiest Refugee : My Journey from Tragedy to Comedy - Anh Do
Kitchen Confidential : Insider's Edition - Anthony Bourdain

RRP $24.99

$23.75

The Diary of a Young Girl : 70th Anniversary Edition - Anne Frank
Red Notice : How I Became Putin's No. 1 Enemy - Bill Browder