Jessica Cox, born without arms, is the first licensed armless pilot. She advocates for using feet instead of arms and is developing The Impossible Airplane. Initially unaware of her differences, she struggled with societal perceptions outside her community. After 11 years of using prosthetic limbs, she embraced her identity at 14 by rejecting them. Inspired by her mother, a Filipino nurse, she developed a passion for travel early in her life, promoting the belief that disabilities do not define one's capabilities.
From the beginning, I made the connection that if there are no arms, why not use my feet? Our toes and feet have the same type of bones as our hands and fingers, so it was a normal transition for replacement.
I did everything to satisfy that norm, trying to blend in with prosthetic limbs for 11 years. But I never connected with them, so I said, why not just let them go?
Travel was my love from a very early age. I got that from my mom. She's Filipino and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s.
I decided to give up the arms and figure out how to stand tall as someone who's different. It wasn't overnight, and it wasn't always easy.
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