Roundup: ‘Pikesana’ Talk Skiing, Wedding and Coffee on ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
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by Alex Abrams
Every month we scour the web for the latest going on in the world of U.S. Para Nordic skiing. Here’s what you missed!
Seven-time Paralympians Aaron Pike and Oksana Masters shared some details about their love story while appearing as guests on NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on Monday.
Pike and Masters, dubbed “Pikesana,” are teammates on the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing national team. They’re also engaged to get married. During their TV appearance, Pike told Clarkson about how cross-country skiing and their love of coffee brought the couple together.
Pike said he was drinking coffee with a friend at a Para Nordic skiing training camp when Masters came into the room and immediately noticed there was a French press. Masters added that she thought Pike was handsome and had good taste in coffee.
Masters and Pike are multi-sport stars who are on track to qualify for the Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in March. Masters is a 19-time Paralympic medalist in Nordic skiing, cycling and rowing, while Pike is a world champion in the biathlon in addition to competing in track and field.
Masters previewed their appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” by posting several photos with Clarkson on Instagram.
“We talked about Paralympics that are coming up, strength, resilience, and never giving up… plus some wedding updates with @aaronlevipike,” Masters wrote on Instagram. “Can’t wait for you all to see it!”
It has been eventful past few weeks for Pike. In addition to being interviewed by Clarkson, he completed the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12 and finished fourth in the men’s wheelchair division with a time of 1 hour, 29.07 minutes.
Paralympic hopeful Nicole Zaino recently celebrated her “alive day” and reflected on how much her life has changed since she had a stroke 21 years ago that resulted in her being paralyzed on the left side of her body.
Zaino, who’s a member of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing development team, had her stroke at age 8. Since then, she has earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering and has moved to Bozeman, Montana, to continue training in Para Nordic skiing.
“21 years ago, I woke up to a reality I never expected,” Zaino wrote on Instagram. “Today, I woke up and had a great biathlon practice and ended the day with some delicious cake from @wildcrumb.
“The little girl who had that stroke would be amazed at where we are now, but the determination and resilience she had is exactly what fuels me on the snow today.”
October is known as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which recognizes the positive impact of people with disabilities in the workforce. As part of it, Zaino spoke to USParaNordic.org about how she manages to juggle competing as a sit skier with her job as a clinical research lead for a company that makes smart technology for power wheelchairs.
“They’ve been really supportive of (my athletic goals), and I think that helps a lot with the stress of trying to balance both the job and skiing,” Zaino told USParaNordic.org. “But I only work part-time. I don’t think I’d be able to do both training and working full-time, both at 100 percent.”
Standing skier Dani Aravich also spoke to USParaNordic.org about balancing her busy schedule with work and her commitments as a two-time Paralympian.
The top American Para Nordic skiers have been busy training with the start of the season quickly approaching and the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympics beginning not too long after that.
Members of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing national and development teams will open the season in early December by competing in a pair of world cup events in Canmore, Alberta.
On Oct. 29, the official Instagram account for U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing marked 100 days until the start of the Winter Paralympics.
Paralympians Aravich and Sydney Peterson were among the Para Nordic skiers in New York at the time for the Team USA Media Summit, and both took part in a ceremonial lighting of the Empire State Building to mark the milestone. As part of the event, the skiers visited the 102nd floor, which is another step higher than the main 86th floor observation deck.
““There’s literally no fence or anything. It’s just a normal, waist-high guardrail,” Peterson said. “And then you can see all the way down, which is really neat. And a little scary, a little queasy.”
To help get ready for the next few months, a small group of Para Nordic skiers took part in a high-intensity training camp inside an underground ski tunnel in Oberhof, Germany. The group included Masters and fellow Paralympic gold medalists Dan Cnossen, Kendall Gretsch and Peterson.
The training camp lasted 10 days.
“The time trials and competitive workouts were great chances to check in on everyone’s preparation process,” said Nick Michaud, a coach with U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing. “It’s better to practice details now — warm-up routines, morning fueling, the rifle hand-off — than to wonder later if we’re ready enough. This camp helped everyone reestablish those race-day routines after several months away from competition.”
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.
