Oksana Masters Says Dating Fellow Paralympian Aaron Pike Has 'Made Me a Better Athlete and Person'

Paralympians Oksana Masters and Aaron Pike are the definitions of a power couple.

The athletes, who are best friends and teammates, both compete in multiple sports, powering through a nonstop yearly training schedule of summer and winter athletics. Their Paralympic resumes are a perfect match: London, Sochi, Rio de Janeiro, Pyeongchang, and now Tokyo.

"Watching Aaron race, that's when I reach my peak heart rates because it's just out of my control," Masters, 32, tells PEOPLE.

Pike, 35, will compete in wheelchair racing next week in five different events, including the men's marathon. Masters is a para cyclist and will use the control she talks about to focus on winning a medal in Tokyo.

Since her fourth-place finish in Rio, Masters often visualizes that race and is confident she knows what she did wrong that day and how to make it right.

Understanding the challenges of being an elite Paralympic athlete connects Pike and Masters in a way that she says makes her feel lucky.

Pike lost the use of his legs after a spinal cord injury as a teenager. Masters was born in Ukraine with multiple radiation-induced birth defects from Chernobyl that led to the loss of both her legs.

The couple, who has been together for seven years and lives in Champaign, Illinois, met cross-country skiing, a winter sport they have in common, in addition to biathlon.

"When I met Aaron, my racing career just elevated, and I became better as an athlete and a person," she says.

Masters and Pike intend to leave Tokyo, turn right around, and train for the Paralympic trials for Beijing 2022. "It's the first time and probably the only time that winter and summer will be within one year," says Masters. "I feel like all the Paralympians, and I prove the impossible is possible, and I'm just taking that as another opportunity to be a part of history."

To learn more about all the Paralympic hopefuls, visit TeamUSA.org. The Tokyo Paralympics air on NBC until September 5.