Woman Born Without Arms, Jessica Cox, Defies All Odds To Become Pilot And Tae Kwon Do Black Belt

Woman Born Without Arms Defies Odds To Become A Pilot

A woman who was born with no arms has defied all odds to become a pilot.

Five years ago, Jessica Cox, became the first female to fly a plane with her feet and later became the first armless black belt in the American Tae Kwon Do Association.

Now, with the help of her husband Patrick Chamberlain, the 32-year-old is on a mission to inspire others by speaking publicly about her remarkable life.

Cox wore prosthetics when she was young, but ditched them when she turned 14. Since then she's adapted to using her feet as hands.

"There’s nothing that can substitute the tactile ability of flesh and bone - and my feet have that ability," she revealed.

The pilot is able to drive a car without modifications, type on a keyboard and even play two full duets with her husband, who is 30 years old.

She has not let her disability limit her in any way, and has always been active since childhood.

"Naturally people saw me not having arms as a limiting factor - but I was there to prove them wrong," said Cox.

"At three years old I was involved in gymnastics, at six I started tap dancing lessons, I did modelling, I swam at five, at 10-years-old I was doing Tae Kwon Do, I did every activity you could imagine."

Five years ago Cox met her husband, Patrick Chamberlain, through their mutual love of Tae Kwon Do.

She revealed: "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."

Cox is the first armless black belt in the American Tae Kwon Do Association

Offering his side to their story, Chamberlain said that he had been dating Jessica for several months when he decided that she was the woman he was going to marry.

"She is unrelenting, positive, and unstoppable, and has opened my eyes to new possibilities since the day I met her," he said.

The pair married in 2012 and now live together in Tucson, Arizona, where Cox continues to live her life independently.

Jessica Cox uses her feet as hands

Cox 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."

She added that her husband has learned how to style her hair in a ponytail, bun and braid.

“It’s very special because he realised how much it annoyed me to have my hair in my face," she explained.

Jessica Cox with her husband, Patrick Chamberlain

Cox 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."

And that's not her only talent. Cox can even flawlessly play the piano and has completed two duets with her husband.

"Right now we’re learning the popular Frozen song, Let It Go. It’s a difficult one but we’ll get it," she said.

The couple work and travel together touring the world as Cox gives motivational speeches.

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"Patrick and I work together to be able to motivate other people," she said. "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 the prospect of having children isn't off the cards for the couple, 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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