Being born without arms has not proven a disability for this inspirational woman who has adapted to life using her feet.
Jessica Cox, 32, was born without arms and while she wore prosthetic limbs as a child, she eventually abandoned them in favour of using her feet to perform everyday tasks.
She has no arms but she can fly. Born armless to a Filipino mother and an American father, Jessica Cox never had anything easy. But she didn’t think anything was too hard either. At 14, she stopped using her artificial arms and decided to rely solely on her feet.
But they must be an incredibly awesome pair because Jessica has since earned a black belt in taekwondo, learned to drive a car and fly a plane, completed a degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona (she used her feet to type academic papers), and now travels as motivational speaker to inspire others.
‘There’s nothing that can substitute the tactile ability of flesh and bone – and my feet have that ability,’ she said.
Got her wings: Jessica Cox was the first woman to get a pilot’s licence after learning to fly with her feet
Five years ago, she became the first woman without arms to get a pilot’s licence after learning to fly a plane with her feet.
She also became the first armless black belt in the American Tae Kwon Do Association.
And she married Patrick Chamberlain, 30, who was an instructor at the school, proving that her disability would not be a barrier to love.
Mrs Cox is able to drive a car without modifications, type on a keyboard and even play the piano, constantly proving that her disability would not hold her back.
Jessica said: ‘Naturally people saw me not having arms as a limiting factor – but I was there to prove them wrong.
‘At three years old I was involved in gymnastics, at six I started tap dancing lessons, I did modelling, I swam at five, 10-years-old I was doing Tae Kwon Do, I did every activity you could imagine.’
Five years ago Jessica met her husband, Patrick Chamberlain, through their mutual love for Tae Kwon Do.
Jessica said: ‘Patrick, was a fourth-degree black belt and he was teaching a class with my friend, and we hit it off right away.
‘We got to know each other on an instructor-student basis and met outside of school at social gatherings.
‘He moved on to a different Tae Kwon Do school eventually and he asked me out and the rest was history.’
Patrick said: ‘Jessica and I had been dating for several months when I decided that she was the woman I was going to marry
‘She is unrelenting, positive, and unstoppable, and has opened my eyes to new possibilities since the day I met her.’
Jessica and Patrick were married in 2012, and live together in Tucson, Arizona, where she lives her life independently.
Jessica said: ‘I faced some challenges when it came to learning how to get dressed, but it was a trial and error process.
‘We started off mounting hooks on the walls and I would hang my clothes on the hooks and wiggle my way into them.
‘The hooks would sometimes create holes in my clothes and it was hard to have the hook in public restrooms where I needed to get dressed so I have a new hook that has a suction on it and it has been with me since I was 18-years-old.
‘That was one of my biggest challenges, but I’m very independent, the only thing I really need help with is doing my hair.
‘Patrick learned to do a very nice ponytail, bun and braid – it’s very special because he realised how much it annoyed me to have my hair in my face.’
Jessica earned a Guinness World Record in 2008 when she received her pilot’s license and became the first woman to fly an airplane with her feet.
She said: ‘It took three years, three different airplanes, three instructors, 80 hours of flying in three states, and I was a certified pilot.’
Jessica can even flawlessly play the piano and has completed two duets with her husband.
The couple work and travel together touring the world as Jessica gives motivational speeches.
Jessica added: ‘Patrick and I work together to be able to motivate other people.
‘I get to be the one in the spotlight but it would not happen if he wasn’t there as my manager and helping me with media.
‘Recently I met a little girl who never met someone without arms.
‘I just told her that she’s going to be okay and I gave her confidence, that’s what I’m really passionate about.
‘I love reaching out to kids and letting them know that they can do anything.’
And while children might be in their future, right now they plan to continue to inspire others.
Jessica said: ‘If we did have a child without arms, we wouldn’t hesitate – I lived my life just fine without arms.
‘We have many years to spend together to start a family and to continue to travel the world.
‘We want to bring speaking to other countries and change attitudes about disability.’
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