I believe I can fly: Meet the world’s first armless pilot

Being born without arms has not proven a disability for this inspirational woman who has adapted to life using her feet. 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 […]

Being born without arms has not proven a disability for this inspirational woman who has adapted to life using her feet. 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.

Photo: Barcroft USA