PRO FILES: JESSICA COX
When impossible becomes reality
“It’s the truth for anyone: the more you get over it and don’t let your fear hold you back, the easier it becomes. Just do it anyway.” — Jessica Cox
Jessica Cox — the motivational speaker, writer and philanthropist from Sierra Vista, Arizona — is additionally an accomplished pilot, third-degree black belt martial artist, cyclist and high-level athlete.
She was also born without arms.
Cox was born armless in 1983 — the result of a rare non-genetic birth defect. Abandoning her prosthetic arms at only four years old, Cox then began her journey — achieving monumental and historical athletic accomplishments along her way.
While attending college at Arizona State University, Cox earned her second of two black belts in Tae Kwon Do, later earning her second-degree black belt in 2012.
In 2008, Cox earned her Sport Pilot Certification; three years later, she became the first armless person ever to obtain a pilot’s license as well as completed her first solo flight.
In 2009, Cox completed her first scuba dive as well as gave motivational speeches across the world.
In 2011, Cox not only entered the Guinness World Records, she also met Pope Benedict XVI, gave speeches in three continents and got engaged to her current husband Patrick.
In 2012, Cox married Patrick, spoke in six different continents, earned her second-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, began production for her documentary Right Footed and won the U.S. Inspiration Award for Women: Most Aspirational from International Inspiration.
In 2013, Cox became a Certified Bully Prevention Specialist, a Certified Tae Kwon Do Trainer, gave her first speech in South Korea, won the U.K. Inspiration Award for Women from International Inspiration and was named amongst the “10 Best Pilots: Best at Overcoming Obstacles” from Plane & Pilot Magazine.
In 2014, Cox was named Director of the International Child Amputee Network, named Woman of the Year from Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, received a Certificate of Achievement from the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. and won several recognitions and awards in and outside of athletics.
In 2015, Cox published her first book: Disarm Your Limits as well as saw her Right Footed documentary gain critical acclaim and exposure while she continued her international motivational speech tour.
A tireless worker with an unquestionable drive for overcoming challenges and perceived limitations, Cox remains an absolute inspiration for the entire world with her non-stop achievements and refusal to believe her birth condition needed to dictate the quality of her life.
In between speaking engagements as well as scheduling international screenings for Right Footed, Cox took the time to speak about her passion for athletics, Disarm Your Limits as well as her refusal to say, “I can’t.”
JESSICA COX
- Born in Sierra Vista, Arizona
- Thirty-three years old
- Bachelor’s Degree, Psychology — University of Arizona (2005)
- First-Degree Black Belt —Tae Kwon Do (International Tae Kwon Do Federation)
- Third-Degree Black Belt — Tae Kwon Do (ATA Martial Arts) (2003)
SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Most Watched Female Aviator — AOPA Live Pilots Choice Awards (2010)
- First Armless Person in the World Ever to Have Obtained a Pilot’s License — Guinness World Records (2011)
- Inspiration Award for Women: Most Aspirational —International Inspiration; U.S.A. (2012)
- Inspiration Award for Women—International Inspiration; U.K. (2013)
- “10 Best Pilots: Best at Overcoming Obstacles” — Plane and Pilot Magazine (2013)
- Director — International Child Amputee Network (2014)
- Woman of the Year — Perimeter Bicycling Association of America (2014)
- Certificate of Achievement — Embassy of the Philippines (2014)
- Tae Kwon Do Champion — Arizona State Champion (2014)
- Outstanding Achievement Award: Ercoupe 75th Anniversary (2015)
“INNOVATION BEGINS WITH DECLARING I CAN FIND A WAY”
Innovation is just all about my life, because I’ve essentially had to do everything — and I love to say in a “tw0-handed world” — without arms and hands. I’ve done it all with my feet.
I have a saying: “Think outside the shoe.”
ON ABANDONING PROSTHETICS
For me: I was born this way, so I don’t know. My natural instincts are to connect with my feet; it’s more natural than connecting with inanimate objects like prostethic arms.
It’s really hard for people with arms probably to understand, but these prosthetics — they just don’t work in the same way that flesh and bone do.
And that’s something I didn’t have the option of — I don’t have flesh arms and hands.
So for me, my feet have been there since day one; I connect to them naturally.
ON EMBRACING CHALLENGES
I didn’t really have an option. I had great parents growing up, and they were always just so positive about it. I’ve really been blessed in so many ways that I can’t think negatively because of all the blessings that I’ve been given.
For me, giving back is great as well. Because now I’m able to use my situation to bring inspiration to other people.
ON HELPING YOUTH
It’s one of my passionate things: to give back to specifically kids and parents who are in those moments of struggle. The parents don’t know how their kids will figure out how to do things — which they’ll just figure it out. And the kids: they’re being judged constantly because they’re different.
And I just say: break through that, all the judgement. Never let anything hold you back.
For me, that was just wonderful to be able to give that back to these kids. Specifically because I connected on that level of being someone who’s visually different from the average person.
“HOW CAN I vs. CAN I?”
It’s asking the question How? instead of the question Can? I think it was just: I had to — out of necessity — develop that. Because that was how I had to approach everything.
I was looking at it as: how can I do this with my feet instead?
ON FACING FEARS
Flying — it’s always been my fear. Just as a passenger, and it’s always been terrifying to go up on a commercial flight and — not a fear of heights — but just be up in the sky. Losing contact with the ground, I should say.
As I talk about when I’m speaking: fear is something that everyone has, and we have to get over. For me, I’ve always been pretty fearless and a risk-taker. And I realized because I’m like that, it makes it so much easier.
It’s the truth for anyone: the more you get over it and don’t let your fear hold you back, the easier it becomes. Just do it anyway.
ON SURFING
I had to have extra balance growing up, because I didn’t have the arms to balance me. So I always had this natural ability to balance.
Surfing was just something I wanted to try, and realized it was pretty easy to pick up.
ON TAE KWON DO
Tae Kwon Do was something I was put in at the age of ten. My mom wanted me to have self-defense and a way to express myself — because I used to kick people a lot. And it worked out really well.
It was a good way to channel it into a positive activity.
It worked out, and it turned into something that ended up introducing me to my husband Patrick. So we’ve ended up sharing this passion of Tae Kwon Do together, and it was the only thing that connected us — our passion for Tae Kwon Do.
ON RIGHT FOOTED DOCUMENTARY
It’s still kind of in a place where we’re trying to share it more privately. But we’ll have it more open and available to people in different areas throughout the country.
Hopefully we’ll have it on public television one of these days — but not just yet. So for the time being, it’s at rightfootedmovie.com.
ON DISARM YOUR LIMITS BOOK
The book is available at jessicacox.com. It was a process, but it was nice to be done.
It’s really been enjoyable sharing my life through the book.
ON FUTURE ENDEAVOURS
I’m a professional speaker, and have traveled all over the world; twenty countries. Keynote speeches, motivational talks or inspirational speeches, as well. This is what I do for a living. All kinds of events: non-profits, corporations, schools and universities.
It’s just inspiring to hear people give me their feedback and how it made them feel. How it helped them get over it — whether it be a fear or a limitation they had set for themselves.
Naturally I would like to have a family, so Patrick and I hope to have kids one day; that’s part of the plan. But right now as far as goals, I was checking out high-performance driving.
That’s a possibility.
Written By: Matteo Urella / November 2016
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