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The tallest woman in the world was all smiles as she celebrated her 26th birthday last week.
Rumeysa Gelgi, who holds a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for her height, measures a staggering 7ft 0.7in (215.16 cm). You can see a clip of her boarding a plane for the first ever time here:
In a post on Instagram last week, Gelgi shared several shots of herself smiling as she got ready to blow out the candles on her birthday cake, while another photo showed her sipping on a cocktail.
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Captioning the photos, she wrote: “Level up! to the #26 era”. The post was soon flooded with messages of well-wishes from her 37,000 followers.
Gelgi has been in the Guinness World Record books for years, originally holding the title for tallest teenager living (female) in 2014, but broke the record for tallest woman living after she turned eighteen.
She also earned an additional three records in 2021: longest finger on a living person (female); largest hands on a living person (female); and longest back on a living person (female).
Gelgi, who has Weaver syndrome, said that being a record holder had been a dream come true.
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Speaking back when she was just 17 and given the title of tallest teenager living (female), she said: “It’s one of my biggest dreams to be awarded with this record.
“Being a record-holder is a very amazing thing. I know that only the special people can make it and I know I’m one of them now.”
Gelgi, from Turkey, uses her fame to talk about her condition and inspire others who may be living through similar circumstances.
In another post on Instagram, she said: "I was born with extreme physical uniqueness and wanted to have as much of them recognised and celebrated as possible, hoping to inspire and encourage others with visible differences to do the same thing and be themselves.
"It motivated me to pursue my goals and have a more confident outlook in life."
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Despite the difficulties she’s faced in life, Gelgi remains positive and hopes to encourage others to do the same.
"I like being different from everyone else," she told Guinness World Records.
"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."
Happy birthday, Rumeysa!
Topics: Life
Claire Reid