A 24-year-old woman in Turkey is reaching new heights of fame as the world’s tallest woman.
Guinness World Records has just declared Rumeysa Gelgi ― who stands at 7 feet, 0.7 inches ― as the world’s tallest woman currently living.
The previous record holder was China’s Yao Defen, who stood at 7 feet, 7 inches before she died in 2012 at the age of 40.
Gelgi is no stranger to record keepers. In 2014, GWR awarded her the title for the tallest living female teen.
Gelgi’s stature is caused by a rare condition called Weaver syndrome that causes accelerated growth among other symptoms including skeletal maturation.
As a result, she uses a wheelchair to get around most of the time, though she can move using a walker for short periods, according to GWR.
Since she was first recognized, Gelgi has used her platform to educate others about rare medical conditions such as her own.
Her advice to people struggling with feeling different is to remember that “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.”
Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief at Guinness World Records, said Gelsi’s new honor adds a unique distinction for Turkey since it’s also home to 8-foot-3-inch Sultan Kosen ― the world’s tallest living man.
The last time the two tallest people hailed from the same country was in 2009 when China’s Defen and Bao Xi Shun (7 feet, 8.95 inches) held the tallest woman and tallest man records respectively.
