Jessica Cox, who was born without arms, is a certified sports pilot, scuba dives, surfs, has two black belts in TaeKwon Do, plays the piano and drives a car with her feet.
The first day of eighth grade, Cox says she made the greatest decision of her life, choosing to no longer wear her prosthetic arms.
“I thought - I don’t care what anyone says,” said Cox (27).
“I actually felt better than years previous. And I haven’t worn them since.”
Cox, who resides in Arizona, visited family and friends in Yarmouth last week. She travels the world as an inspirational speaker and provided students at the Yarmouth and Area Taekwon Do Association with a demonstration while here.
She began using her feet as hands during infancy and now, as an adult, it is as natural to her as breathing. She can put in her contacts, type and scroll on her blackberry, with her feet. Her flexibility is amazing to others, but for her, it’s a “necessary thing.”
“It’s amazing how flexible we can be. When we are babies we can easily reach our feet to our mouth. It’s a matter of maintaining that,” she says.
And maintain she does.
From the moment she wakes up in the morning and hits the snooze button on her phone, that’s her first form of a stretch. The last thing at night, just before sleep, she turns off the light switch with her feet.
“It’s like a constant yoga class. If you’re constantly using them you’re not going to lose the flexibility and dexterity,” she says.
Although her inspirational speaking engagements are two to three times a month, she considers her profession as being a “daily thing.”
“You don’t just go up on stage and become a speaker. Being an inspirational speaker is something you choose to do everyday. You choose to be positive,” she says.
She’s been contacted by people “literally” from all over the world for advice on how to handle situations without arms.
Recently, parents of an armless little boy in England contacted her saying they were interested in having him join TaeKwon Do.
She popped one of her manuals and a video in the mail to them with a note.
“That made all the difference in the world for his parents’ life and his. That’s rewarding. To be able to change what parents feel their child can’t do... basically change the fate of someone who had the same birth situation. That’s even more rewarding to me than having someone come up to me afterwards and congratulating me for having spoken,” she says.
Eventually Cox hopes to start a non-profit foundation or organization for those without arms.
“If I make their life just a little bit easier from something I’ve done, that would be great,” she says.
She says there are really only two things she hasn’t been able to master – how to tie her hair in a ponytail, and how to rock climb.
She’s noticed that youngsters accept the absence of her arms readily.
“It’s a very easy transition for them. Sometimes I think when you get older, it’s hard to get past something that is so visually apparent. I like when I speak to kids too because they immediately have a lot of questions. There is no barrier. That’s something we have to learn from kids.”
In her travels, she often meets those who forget and reach out for a handshake.
“They feel like they offended me. I have to reassure them and say don’t worry, it happens all the time.”
For watch videos of Jessica Cox, visit her website.
