Guinness World Records declare 7ft woman tallest female alive

A woman declared the tallest in the world said it was important to accept yourself for who you are.

Rumeysa Gelgi, who stands at 7ft 0.7in (215.16cm), was officially named the tallest woman alive by Guinness World Records on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old from Turkey said: “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.”

Ms Gelgi’s stature is down to a condition called Weaver syndrome, an extremely rare condition which causes accelerated growth among other symptoms.

She first achieved a Guinness World Records title back in 2014 as a 17-year-old when she was awarded the title for the tallest living female teenager.

Since then, Ms Gelgi has tried to use her platform to raise awareness about rare medical conditions such as her own and encourage others to accept themselves for who they are.

Ms Gelgi mostly uses a wheelchair to get about but can travel on foot using a walker.

She said her height makes others intrigued when they pass her on the street with most people being kind and supportive when they meet her for the first time.

Her family are very happy and proud of her for having the Guinness World Records title. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

Craig Glenday, editor in chief at Guinness World Records, said: “It’s an honour to welcome Rumeysa back into the record books. Her indomitable spirit and pride at standing out from the crowd is an inspiration.

“The category of tallest living woman is not one that changes hands very often, so I’m excited to share this news with the world.

“And it’s all the more fascinating that Rumeysa is from Turkey, which means that both our tallest living male and female record holders are from the same country – a rare occurrence in our 67-year history.”

The title for the tallest man living currently belongs to Sultan Kosen, who measured 8ft 2.8in (251cm) on February 8, 2011.

The tallest woman to have ever lived was Zeng Jinlian from China who was measured 8ft 1in (246.3cm) when she died on February 13, 1982.