Roundup: ‘Pikesana’ Is Official, Plus U.S. Skiers Are Honing In On Offseason Training
by Alex Abrams

Aaron Pike and Oksana Masters converse after a race at the Paralympic Games Beijing 2022. (Photo: Getty Images)
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!
“Pikesana” Is Official: Pike and Masters Get Engaged
Aaron Pike and Oksana Masters returned from their recent vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with some good news to share.
The longtime couple, which Masters has been dubbed “Pikesana,” got engaged.
Pike and Masters are each six-time Paralympians, and they’ve been competing over the years as members of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing national team. They live and train together in Champaign, Illinois.
“Went to Jackson hole chasing adventure, leaving Jackson hole starting our forever together,” Masters wrote on Instagram. “From the start I knew you were my forever @aaronlevipike.”
Pike posted photos on Instagram of their trip to Jackson Hole. Their vacation came only a few days after Masters won a pair of gold medals at the 2022 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships in Baie-Comeau, Quebec.
The couple went kayaking, cycling and sightseeing while visiting the Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
“Had a fun weekend exploring The Great Tetons with @oksanamasters and came home with a bison scull, cowboy hat, and a fiancé,” Pike wrote on Instagram.
Pike had one more surprise for Masters. He and fellow U.S. Paralympian Brian Siemann gave Masters a cake to congratulate her on winning two world titles in Para-cycling and then getting engaged.
I’m so lucky to have friends like @bsiemann & a fiancé like @Pikester86 to surprise me with the best cake EVER after winning ✌🏼world championships (rainbow jerseys🌈) at the 2022 @UCI_paracycling road world championships & a week later getting engaged & becoming a fiancé 🫶🫠🫶 pic.twitter.com/3GvohGmI6s
— Oksana Masters (@OksanaMasters) August 31, 2022
Doederlein Helps Lead Americans To Hockey Gold
Lera Doederlein got to celebrate winning a world championship on ice.
On Aug. 28, she scored a goal as the U.S. women’s sled hockey team cruised to a 5-1 win over Canada and won the gold medal at the first-ever Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Challenge in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Afterward, Doederlein posted a team photo on Instagram. In the photo, she’s holding up one finger with the rest of her teammates.
“WORLD CHAMPIONS BABYYYYY,” Doederlein wrote. “Our team went undefeated at Worlds and was an absolutely amazing group overall. I’m so proud of this team and everyone on it. The dedication, passion, sportsmanship, and authenticity from this team is unmatched. We are a team, and I’m so proud to grow alongside these incredible women.”
In March, Doederlein made her Paralympic debut as a Nordic skier in Beijing and earned a pair of top-10 finishes. She placed ninth in both the biathlon sprint and the biathlon middle-distance race.
Aravich and Wiberg Get Work at the Range
Dani Aravich and Ty Wiberg have been busy training for the biathlon.
The official Instagram account for U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing shared video of Aravich and Wiberg as they practiced their rifle shooting for the biathlon. In the video, they take turns aiming with their rifles at the shooting range.
Aravich wrote on Instagram that she had hoped to race in late August at the Big Sky Biggie, a mountain bike race in Big Sky, Montana. However, she admitted she was “bummed” that she couldn’t compete “due to sprained ankle(s).”
Adicoff Goes Skiing Down Under
Jake Adicoff traveled overseas to get back on snow.
The four-time Paralympic medalist posted a photo of himself skiing at Falls Creek Alpine Resort in Victoria, Australia.
“Hard to have a bad day when the sun’s out and there’s a downhill finish,” Adicoff wrote on Instagram.
Adicoff returned to Para Nordic skiing following a three-year hiatus and won his first gold medal as a member of the U.S. cross-country skiing mixed relay team at the Beijing Winter Paralympics. He also earned silvers in a pair of individual cross-country skiing races.
Alex Abrams #
Alex Abrams has written about Olympic sports for more than 15 years, including as a reporter for major newspapers in Florida, Arkansas and Oklahoma. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.