Look Mom, No Hands - The Jessica Cox Story

17 May 2011: Jessica Cox, who was born in the early 80’s, has become the first woman in history to fly a plane, without arms.

Jessica was born with an unexplained birth defect, which resulted in her missing both of her arms. But this never stopped her from doing anything.

Jessica’s role model is her mother, and Jessica says ‘my father never shed a tear since I my birth, as he does not consider me to be a victim’.

Jessica’s always lived life to the fullest, and before learning to fly an aeroplane, she was involved in gymnastics, dancing and singing as a child. Then, she went onto swimming, surfing, driving a car, putting her own petrol in, playing the piano and even earning her black belt in Tai Quan Do.

After graduating from college in Arizona in 2005, where Jessica gained her degree in Psychology, she decided to overcome a fear of flying that she once had, and began to learn how to fly a plane.

Jessica is now a fully fledged pilot, who has a great sense of humour too. One mother’s day, she flew a plane with a banner attached to it reading ‘Look Mom, without arms!’

Jessica has the same insecurities that any young woman would have, such as body image and dating. The main thing that Jessica was concerned with, was not that she was born without arms, but of what people’s perceptions of her were. She says, ‘everywhere I go, I will be watched – walking in a store, eating at a restaurant, taking notes in a college lecture hall, pumping gas into my car – everywhere, eyes will be on me’.

Despite people’s perceptions, Jessica seems to cope through life and her insecurities quite well, she is now an Inspirational Speaker, who empowers others to live their lives to the full, just as she has. You can learn more about her through her website – www.rightfooted.com

I think Jessica’s achievements are so inspiring! I can completely relate to her feeling watched all the time, I read in a fragment from her website, that sometimes, she feels like an alien from another planet. I can relate. Even though, I don’t see myself as a ‘freak’, nor do my friends or family, people still feel the need to gawk at my every move, whether I’m at a petrol station, shopping, holding my fiancés hand, eyes are always firmly pointed in my direction. As Jessica has said on her website, I too have learned to block these stares out, and I only notice them when a friend or family member is in public with me, as they tend to notice them a lot more than me, after all, it’s something that I’ve dealt with my whole life.

Jessica learnt to dance from a very young age


Applying make-up with her foot


Jessica even drives using only her feet


Jessica, when she gratuated from Arizona College in 2005


Putting her contact lense in with her foot


Performing Tai Quan Do with her feet


Paying for her petrol