Tallest and shortest women in the world meet during celebratory anniversary

by Mick the Ram

London was the location for an extraordinary meeting when the world’s tallest and shortest women came together for the first time at a celebratory event.

Rumeysa Gelgi, a 27-year-old Turkish web developer, and Indian actress Jyoti Amge, who is 30, swapped stories and life experiences when sharing an afternoon tea at the Savoy hotel, in the centre of the capital.

Despite struggling to ‘make eye contact at times’ due to their height difference, the pair found common ground over tea and cakes, as they swapped life experiences at the luxury venue.

The women were there, along with other record holders, to attend a special celebration of the Guinness Book of Records (GWR), which has reached its 70th anniversary.

Incredibly rare

Ms Gelgi measures up at 215.16cm (7ft 1in) and has the rare condition called Weaver syndrome. This condition causes accelerated growth and skeletal deformities and hers was only the 27th case ever diagnosed and the first ever in Turkey.

People with Weaver syndrome are always very tall, but they can suffer from other affects which vary from person to person.

These can be distinct facial features, such as wide set eyes or they may also have intellectual or physical disabilities, ranging from mild to severe. Although there is no cure, people with this condition can live healthy lives.

Very much below the average

Ms Amge stands just 62.8cm (2ft 1in) tall; her short stature is due to a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia. The condition is genetic and affects a protein in the body called the fibroblast growth factor receptor.

This protein begins to function abnormally, slowing down the growth of bone in the cartilage of the growth plate which leads to shorter bones and abnormally-shaped bones.

Adult height in people with achondroplasia is usually somewhere between 3 and 4 feet, so Ms Amage is very much below the average.

Big success

Up to 50 percent of children born with the condition will experience neurological impairment, but the most common symptoms are shortened arms and legs, with the upper arms and thighs more affected than the forearms and lower legs.

They may also have a larger head size with a prominent forehead and a flattened nasal bridge. Their teeth are often crowded or misaligned and another common factor is extra spacing between the middle and ring fingers.

Despite her disability, it hasn’t held her back as she has a successful acting career. She plays Ma Petite in the US hit TV series: American Horror Story.

Shared interests

After the meeting Gelgi said: “It was so amazing meeting Jyoti for the first time and it was difficult for us to make eye contact at times due to our height difference, but it was great.”

She told how they discovered that they had things in common such as a love of make-up, self-care, and doing their nails.

Delight at meeting fellow record holder

Amege described their first encounter as a delight, explaining: “I’m used to looking up and seeing people taller than me, but I was so happy to look up today and see the world’s tallest woman.

She is so good-natured, and I felt very comfortable talking to her.”

The spirit of Guinness World Records

GWR editor-in-chief Craig Glenday remarked how the Guinness World Records is all about celebrating differences.

He said by bringing together these two amazing, iconic record-holding women, “they can share their perspectives on life with each other and also with us, as they truly embody the spirit of GWR.”