Woman Named Tallest Living Woman In The World

Guinness World Records has confirmed a new 'world's tallest woman alive', who stands at a staggering 7ft 0.7 inches (215.16cm) tall.

Rumeysa Gelgi, from Turkey, wants people to be inspired by her record-breaking height into accepting themselves as they are.

She said: "Every disadvantage can be turned into an advantage for yourself so accept yourself for who you are, be aware of your potential and do your best."

Before being the world's tallest living woman, Gelgi held the record for the tallest teenager alive in 2014.

The 24-year-old has a condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes accelerated growth, and she has used her fame to raise awareness of rare conditions.

Gelgi's condition means she mostly uses a wheelchair to get around, but she can walk with the help of a walking frame.

Craig Glenday, editor in chief at Guinness World Records, said: "It's an honour to welcome Rumeysa back into the record books.

"Her indomitable spirit and pride at standing out from the crowd is an inspiration.

"The category of tallest living woman is not one that changes hands very often, so I'm excited to share this news with the world."

The tallest woman to have ever lived was Zeng Jinlian, from China, who was measured at 8ft 1in (246.3cm) before her death in 1982.

The tallest man in the world, Sultan Kosen, is also Turkish and stands at 8ft 2.8 inches (251cm) tall.

Speaking about his entry into the record books, he said: "I never imagined I would be in the book, I dreamed about it, but it was still a huge surprise."

As well as being the tallest living man, he's also the proud owner of the largest hands-on a living person, with a wrist to fingertip measurement of 11.22 inches (28.5 cm).

Robert Wadlow was the tallest man ever and he measured 8 ft 11.1 inches (247.1cm) in 1940.

Doctors who examined Wadlow found that his exceptional height was caused by hyperplasia of his pituitary gland.

The rare condition causes an abnormally high level of the human growth hormone and because Robert was never given any treatment to stop it he continued growing right up until his death at just 22.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: World News, Interesting

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19