The World's Tallest Woman: A Story of a Guinness World Record
Turkey: Meet the woman who holds the Guinness World Record for being the tallest woman in the world, behind which lies a rare condition.
Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey recently broke the Guinness World Record and was recognized as the tallest woman in the world. "I feel very proud to receive this title for the new record as the tallest living woman," says Gelgi, 24, who stands a little over two meters tall.
The reason behind her record is not entirely celebratory, as Gelgi suffers from a rare condition called 'Weaver Syndrome'—a condition that causes the body to grow at a much higher rate than normal development.
Interestingly, infants with this syndrome often begin to develop it in the womb, in many cases before birth. "I am very happy that I can help raise awareness about Weaver Syndrome and scoliosis—the diseases I was born with," says Gelgi, who navigates her daily life with the help of a wheelchair and a walker due to the physical challenges she faces.
"I hope my achievement will encourage people to embrace the idea that it is perfectly okay to be different. I hope more people will accept differences," she concludes.
