MANILA, Philippines - After getting a black belt, a license to fly an airplane and a Guinness World Records medal, Filipino-American armless pilot Jessica Cox found love in her taekwondo instructor.
Patrick Chamberlain was with Cox when he told radio dzMM that they have been engaged since May.
"Jessica and I met through taekwondo. I was her instructor...I was working with another lady, we were running a school, and Jessica came in. She was asked to do a special demonstration for our World Championships in front of our grand master and about 5,000 people. So she needed extra training to get ready," he said.
"Not long after that, I got transferred to another school. And I thought, what the heck. She's an amazing person, I'm taking her to dinner. And the rest is history."
On top of her taekwondo and flying skills, Cox can also dance, surf, play the piano and drive a car.
She is also a certified scuba diver.
Asked if there is anything else that she dreams of doing, she said, "I would like to go skydiving sometime. Or maybe parasailing."
Complete
She may not have arms, but Cox, who has made the Philippines proud and is also an accomplished motivational speaker, said she "wouldn't want it any other way."
"If I was born with those two arms, I don't think I wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as I have as well as meet and go all over the world as much as I have," she said.
"It was a long process. It didn't happen overnight. I went through a lot of times when I said I wished I had arms or I wished that things were different. But I came to the point of acceptance right at the beginning of high school. And I said you know what, this is my life and I choose to be grateful for what I have and I choose to wish for more.
"When I look at myself in the mirror, I see myself as complete... because this is my life and I've been able to do so many things because I've been blessed with the family I've been given with."
She then gave these tips to achieve success:
Learn to accept yourself. Once acceptance is reached, you see yourself as complete. You move forward in believing that you can do anything.
Have faith in God. When it comes down to those difficult moments, it's your faith that shines through and gives you strength.
Accept whatever challenge you are given and overcome it.
Encourage others, especially your children, to do the same. Believe in them and let them know that there are no limits out there.
Don't give in to fear. Fear stands for False Evidence that Appears Real.
http://thapaamit.blogspot.in/2012/07/armless-pilot.html