Roundup: After Missing Most Of The Nordic Season, Oksana Masters Ended Her Cycling Season As A World Champ, Again
by Alex Abrams
Every other week we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para Nordic skiing. Here’s what you missed!
Oksana Masters Completes Comeback With World Title
Oksana Masters has dealt with plenty of adversity and even some bad luck over the past year, but she still managed to repeat as a world champion.
After missing most of this past Para Nordic skiing season due to a left hand injury that required multiple surgeries, the multi-sport star returned to racing her handcycle earlier this month at the 2023 UCI Para-cycling World Championships in Scotland.
Things didn’t go smoothly at first for Masters in Scotland. The 17-time Paralympic medalist failed to medal in the women’s WH5 time trial after she got a flat tire during the race. However, she rebounded and completed her comeback on Aug. 11 when she won the women’s WH5 road race in a photo finish. She repeated as the world champion in the event.
“I doubted myself so much and did not believe this was possible at all. The last 150 meters, all I did was blackout and let my body do everything,” Masters told USParacycling.org. “I just thought of everything that went wrong leading up to here, and this is for the entire team behind me that believed in me when I didn’t think it was possible.”
Erin Martin Gets Her Own Mountain Bike
Paralympian Erin Martin was excited to share her good news.
The Paralympian posted on Instagram that she had gotten her own adaptive mountain bike to train with in the offseason — something she had been waiting for over the past three years.
“A huge thank you to those that played a part in this,” Martin wrote on Instagram. “Now, let’s get riding!”
Martin, a native of Seattle, made her Paralympic debut as a sit skier at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics.
She has been cycling this summer to train for the upcoming Nordic skiing season. She competed in the 2023 Tour de Whatcom, a bike race through Bellingham, Washington, on July 22.
Martin shared on Instagram a short video of herself working on her ski technique on a dirt road in Winthrop, Washington. She also posted a photo of herself shooting an air rifle at a range to prepare for the biathlon.
Dani Aravich Celebrates Buying A New Condo
Dani Aravich is officially a homeowner.
The two-time Paralympian recently purchased a condo in Bozeman, Montana, where U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing is based. She celebrated owning her own condo on Instagram by quoting the TV show “Yellowstone.”
“Who wants to live in a condo in Montana?!” Aravich wrote.
Aravich has had a busy offseason. In addition to buying a condo, she took part in a nearly week-long charity bike ride along the Florida coast and served as a guest reporter at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.
“But I’ve actually been in Bozeman probably more than I have any other summer of Nordic training,” Aravich told USParaNordic.org. “And so my training has been really consistent so far, but it’s just a balancing act.”
Sydney Peterson Enjoys Time Outdoors
Sydney Peterson has been exploring the outdoors lately.
Peterson, a standing skier who won three medals during her Paralympic debut in Beijing, has spent quite a bit of time hiking in Montana and Utah this offseason. She shared photos from her adventures on Instagram.
Peterson, who’s a student at St. Lawrence University, also gave a poster presentation at the University of Utah. Her presentation was entitled “Exploring Drug Repurposing and Genetic Modifiers in a DPAGT1-CDG Drosophila Model.”
Alex Abrams has written about Olympic and Paralympic sports for more than 15 years, including as a reporter for major newspapers in Florida, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He is a freelance contributor to USParaNordic.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.