Rumeysa Gelgi: The Tallest Woman Alive
Xinhua/Alamy Stock PhotoRumeysa Gelgi, one of the tallest people ever, with her sister.
Rumeysa Gelgi stands about 7 feet, 1 inch tall, and is considered the tallest woman alive right now. Shockingly, she might have even grown taller than Robert Wadlow without medical intervention.
Like Sultan Kösen, Gelgi is from Türkiye and was born on January 1, 1997. But unlike Kösen or Wadlow, Gelgi was an unusually large infant. She was quickly diagnosed with Weaver Syndrome, a genetic disorder that results in accelerated growth. This condition is extremely rare: Gelgi’s case is just the 27th documented case in world history.
As such, Gelgi has overcome a number of health problems in her life, and uses a wheelchair or sometimes a walker to get around. Starting at age six, she also received medications that slowed her growth. Otherwise, Gelgi might have kept growing — even past her already jaw-dropping height.
“I was treated with medications to stop my overgrowth from age six to age nine,” Gelgi explained to Guinness World Records, “so I obviously have never grown up as tall as Robert [Wadlow’s] final height and that saved my life.”
Guinness World RecordsRumeysa Gelgi with a statue of Robert Wadlow.
Despite her health struggles, Gelgi has led a rich and full life. She’s an activist, public speaker, and a front-end web developer. And Gelgi holds a number of Guinness World Record titles in addition to the one for height: “longest finger on a living person (female),” “largest hands on a living person (female),” and “longest back on a living person (female).”
While speaking to Guinness World Records, Rumeysa Gelgi offered some advice to anyone else who was born different. “Every disadvantage can be turned into an advantage for yourself,” she said, “so accept yourself for who you are, be aware of your potential and do your best.”
