Jessica Cox is the world’s first armless black-belt in the American Taekwondo Association, as well as the first licensed armless pilot. She was born without arms due to a rare non-genetic birth defect.

Jessica cox was born in 1983 in Sierra Vista, Arizona. She learned to live her life with her feet. There were many questions at that 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. Jessica’s parents and family supported her to become confident in herself as an adult and she continued to explore the world with her feet.

Growing up, Cox did everything from swim lessons to girl scouts, modeling, tap dancing and Taekwondo — at the age of 14, she’d already earned a black belt. She graduated in 2005 from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in communications.

Using her feet as most people use their hands, she is able, among other things, to type on a keyboard at 25 words per minute, to drive an unmodified car with an unrestricted license, and to put in and remove her contact lenses. She is also a certified SCUBA diver.

She even learned how to fly a plane with her feet. Becoming a pilot was not a dream for Cox, but after going up in a single engine airplane with a fighter pilot several years ago, she was inspired to overcome her fears. In 2008, after complete training, she earned her Light Sport Pilot Certificate, and in 2011 she nabbed the Guinness World Record for the “First Armless Person in the World Ever to Have Obtained a Pilot’s License.”

Cox works as a motivational speaker and has shared her message in 20 different countries. In 2015 She published an autobiographical self-help book, Disarm Your Limits in order to inspire people to overcome their own challenges through the lessons she has learned in her life.

“I do what I do because I love to do it,” she said “and I don’t give up.”