By Lee Min-young
Jessica Cox was born without arms but she has achieved more than any able-bodied person would have in a lifetime.
She surfs, scuba dives and, most notably, is the world's first and only armless pilot. Cox also has a black belt in taekwondo and is an Arizona State Taekwondo Champion. She now works as a motivational speaker while traveling some 20 countries to get her message out.
However, she says she never intends to stop there. She says she wants to continue making positive changes to society by reaching out to more children with disabilities through a non-profit foundation she recently established.
Cox, who visited Seoul to send her message to Koreans, shared her story with The Korea Times about her amazing accomplishments despite her lack of limbs, how she learned to overcome differences and how she now travels the world as an inspirational speaker to motivate, inspire and empower people. The following is an edited version of her interview.
Question: Tell us about the physical "differences" you have and your childhood, where you had to understand your body.
Answer: I was born without both of my arms due to some rare, basically developmental challenge. It was nothing genetic and the doctors, still to this day, do not know exactly what it was. I was just the only one in the family who was born with this birth difference. It was especially difficult to be different as a child because you don't always understand why you are different. All you know is that people are treating you differently, children are making fun of you, and I would oftentimes go to my mother and ask her, "why I am different? Why did God make me this way?" and it was always a question that she had to figure out how to answer in a way that a child could understand. For me, there were times when I was really angry because I couldn't understand why I was different but more so why the world was treating me differently.
Q. I saw your videos, playing the piano, putting makeup on your face and eating with chopsticks with your toes. How do you do all these things? Are there any strategies that make it easier for you to do all that?
A: I didn't have the option of fingers or hands and since this is all I have ever known, it's only natural for me to use my toes and feet the way people use their hands. To get dressed on my own, I learned how to use certain tools. I use a modified windshield repair tool as a dressing hook. I carry the hook with me everywhere so that I can use the restroom on my own, to get changed outdoors if I have to, and to take care of my own personal needs when I'm traveling.
Q. You have a black belt in taekwondo. What made you start practicing taekwondo?
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| Jessica Cox has been practicing Taekwondo since she was 10 years old. Photos provided by Cox |
Q. You are the world's first and only armless pilot. Tell us how you became a pilot.
I have always been afraid of flying. Ever since I was little, I was just terrified when I was in an airplane, because I didn't know how a plane flies and whether it's safe or not. But I had this opportunity one day to go up on my first flight in a small airplane. The pilot flying that day said, "Go ahead, feel what it's like to put your feet on the yoke of the airplane." So I put my foot up there on the yoke, and the moment I felt what it was like to fly, I made a commitment. I thought to myself, "I am going to do everything it takes to become a pilot, even if it means being the first pilot in aviation history to fly a plane with her feet."
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| She holds a Guiness World Record for flying a plane with her feet. |
Q. Was there any doubt from people while you were preparing to become a pilot?
No one overtly told me to my face, "You cannot become a pilot because you don't have arms," but there were a lot of unspoken discrimination or questions about whether it would be even legal to let an armless person fly a plane and, most importantly, the safety of people on the ground if I'm flying a plane in the skies. It was definitely a challenge but the aviation community was very encouraging and supportive of me.
Q. Did your parents inspire you into becoming a strong-minded person?
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| Cox is also into surfing, scuba diving and many more. |
Q. Would you like to give any advice to parents who have children with disabilities?
I want to encourage you to stay strong, to be encouraging to your child and to help them believe that they can do anything. Help them become independent because it's so easy to help them do everything. But if they are able to do it on their own, they will have such pride and confidence in themselves. So sometimes being a parent means showing tough love and that means giving their child space to sometimes struggle if they have to. But there's no harm in that because they will become stronger from the struggle.
Q. When did you first start your career as a motivational speaker?
When I was sophomore in high school, I was invited to speak to a group of young students and it was the first time I ever did a speech. After I shared my story, many of the students came up to me to tell me how inspired they were. And I thought, "Really? This is just how I live my life." And the idea that what was so natural to me can move people and change the lives of many planted a seed that perhaps I could talk to more people. And why not create a career out of it? So fresh out of college I decided to pursue becoming a motivational speaker. And now I have traveled and spoken in 23 countries around the world. So it's been wonderful.
Q. What is the message you want to spread?
People hear my story and they watch my life on YouTube, on TV, in newspapers, and they really believe, "Wow, if she can do that then there are no limitations." And my message, now that I have been able to achieve the impossible, is to teach companies, to teach people that they can achieve the impossible in their own lives, in their own businesses. With the right mindset and positive attitude, nothing is impossible.
Q. Your life has been a continuation of achieving goals. What is your next challenge?
I always like to challenge myself and I do have smaller challenges like slack-lining, which is a form of tightrope walking, rock climbing and I also have started a non-profit foundation to reach out to families of children with disabilities and help them. I want to get my message out all around the world, so I will continue to travel. I also want to speak more in places here in Seoul.
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| Cox swimming without arms. |
Q. Your last words to Koreans who are in most need of an encouraging message.
I want to say to all Koreans that are watching or reading this to never let fear stand in the way of an opportunity. Too often our lives are ruled by fear but we should never let it hold us back, because there is a wonderful life out there to live, and there are so many things to experience and try out. There is no such thing as failure, because if you try to do something, you have experienced something that has added to your life. So don't be afraid and just give it a shot.
And for those who feel as though they are discriminated against or discouraged, try to turn that frustration into positive energy and know it in yourself that you can do it. Whenever someone says, "You can't do that. You don't have arms," I think to myself, "Oh yeah? Watch me." Prove them wrong and don't get discouraged.
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