The world’s tallest woman Rumeysa Gelgi has revealed that becoming a record holder helped her to accept and embrace her unique appearance.
The 27-year-old, from Türkiye, has faced horrendous bullying throughout her life, mostly from strangers who would point at her in the street and make cruel comments about her.
The way she was treated by others, and the loneliness brought on by it, left Rumeysa struggling to accept herself.
But now, as a multiple Guinness World Records title holder, her outlook has completely turned around.
She said in our first feature-length documentary, Rumeysa: Walking Tall, available to stream free only on Rakuten TV: “There have been times that I wasn’t 100% happy in my own skin.
“But now I am so grateful to be myself. I feel so thankful. I don’t know if that would make sense, but I really feel lucky to have this extraordinary appearance and height.
I think it’s a blessing.
Rumeysa stands at 7 ft 0.7 in (215.16 cm) tall, with her height a result of her being born with Weaver syndrome, a condition caused by a genetic mutation.
She said: “When I was around six, my height already reached 1 m 72 cm (5ft 8 in), and that’s too much for a six-year-old.
“My doctors thought that they should do something to stop it because it would be life-threatening for me.
“So, I had a very experimental treatment which could have serious side effects.
“But thankfully I never suffered from any serious side effects. My height didn’t change too much since I was nine years old so that means the treatment was successful.”
Rumeysa was previously the world’s tallest teenager living (female), and she currently holds five world records:
• Tallest woman living - 7 ft 0.7 in (215.16 cm)
• Widest hand span on a living person (female) – 22.6 cm (8.9 in)
• Longest finger on a living person (female) – 11.2 cm (4.40 in)
• Longest back on a living person (female) – 59.90 cm (23.58 in)
• Largest hands on a living person (female) – 24.93 cm (9.81 in)
In the documentary, she was quizzed by a group of schoolchildren in California, USA, who asked her if she’d change her height if she could.
Speaking alongside Wildine Aumoithe (USA), the world’s shortest woman living (non-mobile), she said: “A bit of a tricky question, but I would say I prefer to stay as who I am.
“Because this is what makes me unique, right?”
When asked about the best part of being so tall, Rumeysa told another student: “The best thing about being so tall is it can make you a five-times world record holder.”
Rumeysa: Walking Tall is available to stream free now, only on Rakuten TV.
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