You’ve probably seen the viral photos. A woman so tall she towers over everyone in the room, her head nearly brushing the ceiling of a standard house. Usually, she’s smiling, holding a Guinness World Records certificate, or chatting with someone who barely reaches her waist. This is Rumeysa Gelgi. While she’s officially the tallest living woman, most people still search for her as the tallest girl in the world—a title she first snagged back in 2014 when she was just a teenager.
Honestly, being that tall isn't just about reaching the top shelf. It's a life defined by physical grit, rare genetics, and a surprisingly high-tech career.
Rumeysa stands at a staggering 215.16 cm (7 ft 0.7 in). That’s not just "basketball tall." That’s "custom-built-airplane-stretcher" tall. But there is a massive difference between being tall because of lucky genes and being tall because of a medical condition. For Rumeysa, her height is the result of Weaver syndrome, an incredibly rare genetic mutation. It causes rapid growth, skeletal maturation issues, and a host of other physical hurdles that most of us never have to think about.
The Reality of Being the Tallest Girl in the World
Most people assume that being a world record holder is all glamour and travel. It’s not. For Rumeysa, her childhood in Turkey was peppered with surgeries and physiotherapy. She wasn't just growing up; her body was racing against itself.
By the time she was five, she’d already had heart surgery. She dealt with scoliosis—a curvature of the spine—which is common when your skeleton grows faster than your muscles can support. Because of the strain on her joints and spine, she usually uses a wheelchair to get around. She can walk, but only for short distances using a walker.
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Think about your daily life for a second.
- Doorframes? Too low.
- Standard cars? Impossible to sit in.
- Clothes? Everything has to be custom-made.
Even a simple flight is a logistical nightmare. In 2022, she finally flew for the first time. Turkish Airlines literally had to remove six seats to install a special stretcher just so she could lie down during the 13-hour flight to San Francisco. She spent that time heading to Silicon Valley because, interestingly enough, she’s a self-taught front-end web developer. She’s not just a "tall person"; she’s a tech professional who used the COVID-19 lockdowns to learn a new trade.
It’s Not Just One Record
While the "tallest girl" label stuck, she actually holds a handful of other titles. Guinness confirmed her for:
- Largest hands on a living female (her right hand is nearly 25 cm long).
- Longest fingers on a living female.
- Longest back on a living female.
- Widest hand span.
Basically, every part of her anatomy is record-breaking. But she’s very vocal about the fact that she doesn't want to be seen as a "freak of nature." She uses her platform for advocacy. She’s an "Icon" for Guinness World Records now, often meeting with other unique record holders—like her famous tea date with Jyoti Amge, the world’s shortest woman. Seeing the two of them together is wild. Jyoti is only 62.8 cm (2 ft 0.7 in). Rumeysa’s hand is literally half the size of Jyoti’s entire body.
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Why Weaver Syndrome is Different from Gigantism
There’s a common misconception that all "giants" have the same condition. They don't. Most famous tall people, like Sultan Kösen (the tallest man alive), have a pituitary issue—usually a tumor that causes too much growth hormone.
Weaver syndrome is different. It's a mutation in the EZH2 gene. It’s so rare that Rumeysa was the first person ever diagnosed with it in Turkey. Only about 50 people in the world have it. It affects the way bones "age" or mature. If she hadn't received medical treatment as a child to stop the growth, doctors think she might have actually surpassed Robert Wadlow, the tallest man who ever lived.
The Bullying and the "Standing Out" Factor
You’d think people would be respectful of a world record holder, but Rumeysa has been very open about the "horrific" bullying she faced growing up. People can be mean when they see something they don't understand.
She’s mentioned in interviews that kids (and even adults) would stare or make comments. But she has this sort of unbreakable self-love now. She famously said that every disadvantage can be turned into an advantage. She likes being different. She likes looking down at the world—literally.
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What You Should Know if You Meet Someone Like Rumeysa
If you ever run into a record-breaker or someone with a growth condition, remember they are humans first. Rumeysa is a crime novel fan. She loves swimming (it’s great for her muscles). She’s a researcher. Her height is the least interesting thing about her once you start looking at her career and her resilience.
Actionable Takeaways for Supporting Diversity:
- Focus on the Person, Not the Measurement: When discussing people like Rumeysa, highlight their achievements (like her web development) rather than just their physical stats.
- Understand the Health Component: Realize that extreme height often comes with chronic pain or mobility issues. It’s not a "superpower"; it’s a medical reality.
- Normalize Differences: Whether someone is 2 feet tall or 7 feet tall, they deserve to navigate the world without being treated like a museum exhibit.
Rumeysa Gelgi continues to live in Turkey, though she travels for her tech career and her work with Guinness. She remains the definitive record holder for the tallest girl in the world and the tallest woman living. She’s a reminder that standing out isn't something to fear—it's something to own.
To learn more about the specifics of her condition or her tech journey, you can follow her official social media channels where she documents her life as a "Walking Tall" ambassador. Supporting her work means supporting rare disease awareness and body positivity for everyone.
Next Steps for Readers:
Check out the Guinness World Records documentary "Rumeysa: Walking Tall" on YouTube. It gives a raw, unfiltered look at her travel to the U.S. and the physical toll her height takes on her body. If you are interested in genetics, look into the EZH2 gene mutation to understand the science behind rare growth syndromes.