A 17-year-old girl from Turkey who stands at 7ft tall has been officially declared the world’s tallest female teenager.
Rumeysa Gelgi who has a standing height of 213.6 cm (7ft 0.09 in), received the Guinness World Record award in a special presentation in her hometown of Safranbolu, Karabük.
Rumeysa is an 11th grade high school student and lives at home with her parents and older siblings, who are all ‘normal’ height.
Her height is caused by a condition called Weaver Syndrome – a rare genetic disorder that causes rapid growth.
In addition to her height, Rumeysa’s hands have grown measure 24.5 cm and feet 30.5 cm – the equivalent of a 12 in men’s shoe sizes.
Her size causes her mobility problems, and she has a custom-built wheelchair and walking frame to help her get around.
Rumeysa’s shoes are also custom made in America for her.
She said while she has been subject to cruel taunts about her appearance in the past, people’s negativity no longer upsets her, and she puts it down to ignorance.
She said instead, she concentrates on the positives of being tall: ‘I like being different from everyone else.
‘It’s interesting and makes me feel special. It also provides me with easy access to high places, and looking down at people from above isn’t a bad thing either.’
Guinness World Records Official Seyda Subasi-Gemici said: ‘Guinness World Records celebrates diversity and recognises extraordinary people all over the world.
‘Rumeysa Gelgi has shown tremendous courage in the way that she has dealt with her condition, and it is an honour to meet and award her with the record title of Tallest Teenager.’
Rumeysa has been told that she is not expected to grow any further, so will not beat the record of Tallest Living Person and fellow countryman, Sultan Kösen, who measures 251 cm (8ft 3 in).
The Tallest Ever Female Teenager is Canadian Anna Haining Swan (b. 6 August 1846 – d. 5 August 1888), who reached a height of 241.3 cm (7ft 11 in).
The Tallest Man on record is American Robert Wadlow who measured 272cm (8ft 11.1 in) in 1940.
Rumeysa’s record will feature in the 2015 Guinness World Records book, out in September.
