Jessica Cox
Jessica Cox
Motivational Speaker , Handicap International Goodwill Ambassador , International Child Amputee Network Director www . rightfooted . com
Introduction / Brief Bio :
Born without arms , Jessica Cox could have succumbed to the low expectations that ushered her into this world . In spite of them all she graduated from college , learned to swim , drive a car , surf , scuba dive , fly an airplane , become a Taekwondo State Champion , and live independently using her feet in ways others who take their hands for granted can only imagine . She holds the title of the first person without arms to get a black belt in ATA Martial Arts and the Guinness World Record for the first pilot to fly with her feet . Yet , her greatest triumph in life stands far above any physical feat . It is her unrepentant regard for herself as a whole person , her high degree of selfacceptance that gives her the freedom and power to insist that society accept her , too , just as she is .
Extended Bio :
Jessica is recognized internationally as an inspirational keynote speaker . Born without arms , Jessica now flies airplanes , drives cars , and otherwise lives a normal life using her feet as others use their hands . She holds the title of the first person without arms to get a black belt in ATA Martial Arts and the Guinness World Record for being the first armless person in aviation history to earn a pilot ’ s certificate . Convinced that the way we think has a greater impact on our lives than our physical constraints , she chose to pursue a degree in psychology at the University of Arizona . Since then she has traveled to 20 countries and 6 continents sharing her inspirational message .
Born in 1983 in Sierra Vista , Arizona , Jessica has learned to live her life with her feet . There were many questions at the time about whether Jessica would be able to live a “ normal ” life . However , Jessica ’ s father has said he never shed a tear about her birth condition . He had full confidence in her potential . With the support of her parents and family , Jessica became confident in herself as an adult and continued to explore the world with her feet .
Jessica ’ s parents met a Taekwondo instructor named Jim Cunningham . His response when told of Jessica ’ s birth condition was that she would be more than physically able to participate and that only her attitude could hold her back . At the age of 14 , Jessica earned her first black belt in the International Taekwondo Federation .
After graduating from high school , Jessica attended the University of Arizona where she earned a bachelor ’ s degree in psychology . When talking about her degree , she frequently explains that psychology credits the way people think with having a greater impact on their lives than a physical limitation .
During college , Jessica joined an ATA Martial Arts club and resumed training in the sport of Taekwondo . Even though Jessica already had one black belt in a different style , she had to relearn all of the color belt material . The instructors created a standardized curriculum that would be accessible to any future armless students . Jessica then became the first armless person to earn a black belt in the ATA . Jessica is also a Certified Trainer in the ATA .
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