Jessica Cox inspires people to “disarm” limits

Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed pilot without arms, shares her story of defying expectations in her book, “Disarm Your Limits.” Cox was born without arms and has learned how to go about her daily life using her feet instead.

Through this, she has not only earned her pilot’s license but also surfs, scuba dives, rides horses, and travels the world as a motivational speaker and advocate for people with disabilities. Cox is also accompanied by the dog that helps her navigate, Chewbacca.

“It keeps it interesting, trying to figure out a new way to do things being creative, and innovative and having some ingenuity…it’s almost like a muscle that strengthened over time,” Cox said, “…living life in a world designed for arms and hands, and then why not take it to the next level, and do new things, new opportunities.”

Cox was born without both of her arms, but did have prosthetic limbs for quite some time over the course of her life. One day, she decided that the prosthetics were actually holding her back more than helping her.

“Prosthetics are wonderful for many people…many of our veterans who come back and need to have their limbs restored,” Cox discussed, “…this is all I’ve known…and so naturally, my feet became my hands from the very beginning…and doing things like eating with chopsticks with my toes, that’s normal for me.”

At 14, Cox decided to embrace who she was and decided to do away with the prosthetic limbs and go back to what she was comfortable with.

“…because that’s who I am…that acceptance and unconditional love is what I was always surrounded by,” Cox said.

Cox also has a non-profit organization to aid children who are also without arms, and to help support and serve them.

“I know I needed that support growing up, and I didn’t have it,” Cox said, “…we are building an airplane, the first purpose-built airplane that can be flown with feet alone in the piloting command seat.”