Turkish national Rumeysa Gelgi becomes the tallest woman in the world. Guinness World Records has officially announced the 215.16cm (7ft 0.7in) tall Rumeysa as the tallest woman alive.
She had earlier held the record of tallest teenager (female) in the world back in 2014 when she was 18.
The 24-year-old Rumeysa’s tall stature is down to a condition called Weaver syndrome, an extremely rare condition which causes accelerated growth amongst other abnormalities including skeletal maturation.
The previous record holder was Yao Defen (China) who recorded an average height of 233.3 cm (7 ft 7 in) when last documented back in 2010.
Rumeysa had become vocal about her condition since her record in 2014, as well as a strong advocate of people who suffer such health issues.
“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.” she said.
Rumeysa uses a wheelchair for travel but she can walk short distances with a walking frame.
In her free time Rumeysa likes to go out for nice meals with her family and finds swimming really helps her to relax. Her family are very happy and proud of her for having the Guinness World Records title.
The tallest male in the world is also from Turkey which is a rare occurrence. Sultan Kösen with 251 cm (8 ft 2.8 in) holds this record.