The other day, my elder one came jumping to me. “Mom, I have just the right person for your blog. You must talk to Jessica Cox. She is a motivational speaker. She lives in California. She is a pilot. But wait, the biggest thing is she flies the plane with her toes!”
And then we exchanged a wide-eye glare with each other.
I googled her. At instant, I was inspired to reach out to her. She turned out to be a much celebrated personality with felicitations from across world. Thus, the chances of getting through her just became even drabber. That night, we slept all inspired and excited to have learned about her resilience and uniqueness.
I am a very loyal member of the 5 a.m. club. The next morning, while the world was still asleep, I wrote a fan-mail to Jessica. I explained, how my son told me about her and also requested if she could agree to do an interview for my blog.
Within 10 minutes, to be precise, I got a reply from her. She thanked me for writing to her. She asked me to pass her wishes to my son. She also agreed to do the e-mail interview and signed-off this mail with the most inspiring signature – toes on the touchscreen.
Within a minute I could relate to her indomitable spirit and zest for life. My answers too came within 24 hrs.
Meet world’s first armless licensed pilot who is also a black-belt champion in Taekwondo –
Jessica Cox. And here is my email interview with her.
Me: Let’s go back to your childhood. How was your growing up years like?
Jessica: Growing up was challenging and being the only one who was different made it especially difficult. There were times when I wondered why am I the only one who’s different? It made me very angry at times but I was very fortunate to have supportive parents.
Me: What was your understanding of yourself as a kid?
Jessica: As a kid, I understood that I was different. It was natural for me to figure out how to do things with my feet but I also tried to avoid getting any extra attention for my difference. I would try to cover up my difference because all I ever wanted to do was blend in with everyone else. Soon, I learned how to embrace my difference and celebrate the uniqueness.
Me: A bit about your parents that you can share. And how they planned things for you?
Jessica: My parents were very supportive of me. They would always tell me you can do anything and help me to come to terms with my difference. My father never saw me as a victim.
Me: Can you recall any momentous occasion which brought you the self-determination you have today?
Jessica: Self-determination was always a part of me because it took a lot more effort to do some things. I had to learn out a necessity to be persistent and not give up easily.
Me: What was your first victory over the normal inhibitions like?
Jessica: I remember one of my first victories was jumping off the high dive in swim lessons. It is scary to climb a ladder without hands or arms but I figured out how to do it on my own. The ladder was 12 feet tall. I managed to make it to the top of the diving board and jump off. It gave me a surge of confidence!
Me: Your definition of a super-hero?
Jessica: I feel a superhero is a person who has ultimate confidence despite the threat of being judged.
Me: Who is your biggest source of inspiration?
Jessica: I think a source of inspiration for me is a woman who lost her arms when she was only three years old. Her name Is Barbara. She has served as my mentor for many years and whenever I have a question, I will always call her.
Me: What would you like to call your driving force?
Jessica: My driving force is my faith which is always there for me especially when times are most difficult.
Me: Your most pleasant experience while traveling in terms of civil facilities for specially-abled people. Also, any suggestion you would like to suggest.
Jessica: I always love witnessing inventions that are intended for universal design. I love when something can function to help people with multiple disabilities.
Me: Taekwondo, flying, cooking… what’s the next big thing you have on your mind?
Jessica: The next big goal on my mind is being able to do more flying in the airplane. I’m also working on some cooking for my new show on Facebook called Toe Food Tuesdays. I hope you can all watch!
6 Comments
Amazing and awesome experience shared. Very motivational
Thanks, didi… if you get time watch some of her video. She is truly inspirational!!
Good to know about such inspirational n motivating personality, Jessica Cox 👍👍.
Very inspirational interview with perfectly framed questions. Well written Princy 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Inspiring princy …cant believe its true…keep motivating us
Thanks for the good article, I hope you continue to work as well.Спаситель на продажу