Meet 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey, the world's tallest woman

Rumeysa Gelgi from Turkey has become the tallest living woman in the world, according to Guinness World Records. The 24-year-old, who measures 215.16cm, or 7ft 0.7in, had earlier broken the Guinness World Record for the tallest living female teenager in 2014. Gelgi’s extraordinary height is caused due to the Weaver Syndrome, a medical condition that accelerates growth and causes abnormalities such as skeletal maturation. She confessed that she has been bullied in her childhood but has received immense support from her family. The video about Gelgi by the Guinness World Records has gone viral, receiving over 3.8 lakh views. “Being different is not that bad. It can make you achieve things you never imagined before,” reads the caption of the video. The 24-year-old said that as far as she knows, she is the first case of the Weaver Syndrome in the country. She added that she was born with some serious diseases such as scoliosis. Gelgi is wheelchair-bound and can walk for short distances by using a walker. She added that while people are intrigued by her, most strangers who pass in the streets are kind to her. She is also involved in raising awareness about the Weaver Syndrome, according to media reports. Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said that it was an honour to welcome Gelgi back into their records, adding that the 24-year-old’s “indomitable spirit and pride at standing out from the crowd is an inspiration”. In a strange coincidence, the tallest living man in the world is also from Turkey. According to Guinness World Records, Sultan Kosen stands 251 centimetres or 8 feet 2.8 inches tall. A brain tumour that affected his hypothalamus was the cause of Kosen’s incredible height. Guinness World Records called it “a rare occurrence” with both the tallest living male and female record-holders belonging to Turkey. The last time such an incident happened was in 2009, when two people from China, Bao Xishun (236.1 centimetres) and Yao Defen (233.3 centimetres), held the records for tallest living male and female respectively.