Rumeysa is the tallest woman in the world: “I feel special”

Gelgi owes its record size to the rare Weaver syndrome; a congenital disease caused by a change in DNA. One of the characteristics is proliferation.

It’s not always easy, she told Guinness World Records. For example, it causes health problems, she is in a wheelchair and she has been bullied. She can walk with a walker, but only for a short time.

Still, there are benefits, she says. “It’s fantastic to be a Guinness World Record holder. And being the only woman this size makes me feel special.”

Her family and the people around her are proud of her, she says. And she herself is. “This title makes me feel unique.”

It motivates her to achieve her goals, she says. “Being different isn’t that bad. You can do things you never thought possible.”

So she has a message for anyone who wants to hear her: “Accept yourself for who you are, be aware of your potential and do your best.”

Gelgi is not the tallest woman of all time. The record holder is Zeng Jinlian from China. She was over 2.46 meters tall and died in 1982. Gelgi’s predecessor, Yao Defen, also Chinese, was over 2.33 meters. She died in 2012.