Saturday, February 25, 2012

Amazing Woman - Jessica Cox, the world's first licensed armless pilot

Jessica Cox (born 1983 in Arizona) is the world's first licensed armless pilot, as well as the first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association (she now has two black belts in Taekwondo). She was born without arms due to a rare birth defect. She earned her pilot's license on October 10, 2008, after three years of training, and is qualified to fly a light-sport aircraft to altitudes of 10,000 feet; she received her training through an Able Flight scholarship. Cox has not used prosthetic arms since she turned 14.  Using her feet as most people use their hands, she is able, among other things, to drive a car (she has an unrestricted license and drives a car without modifications), to type on a keyboard (25 words per minute), to pump her own gas, and to put in and remove her contact lenses. She is also a certified SCUBA diver.  Cox holds a Bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Arizona and works as a motivational speaker.