Often, we consider height to be an asset. When children are little, they love to know that they are taller than they were before. Some parents mark their children’s height against a wall. Other children compare their height to their friends at school.

Being short or tall doesn’t mean someone is smarter or better, but we do literally look up to tall people. However, being tall doesn’t always mean that life is easier than it is for someone of average height.

The Guinness World Records recently named 24-year-old Rumeysa Gelgi as the tallest living woman in the world. She previously held the title of tallest living teenager. She is currently 7 feet 0.7 inches tall.

Gelgi is from Turkey, which is also where the tallest living man, Sultan Kösen, lives. He is 8 feet 2.8 inches tall.

Nobody else in Gelgi’s family is nearly as tall as she is. It is not like extreme height is something that runs in her family. Instead, her height is due to an extremely rare condition called Weaver syndrome. It is so rare that Gelgi is currently the only person in Turkey with Weaver syndrome.

Weaver syndrome causes people to be abnormally tall. It also often causes mild intellectual disability and sometimes a larger than usual head.

Gelgi’s condition makes it hard for her to walk. She usually uses a wheelchair to get around, but she is also able to use a walker for short periods of time.

Even though Gelgi’s condition makes her life a little bit difficult, she is far from complaining. She is proud of being the tallest woman in the world. Receiving a Guinness World Record makes her feel “proud” and “unique.” She also feels motivated “to reach my goals and go further in life.”

Gelgi is used to being different and having people stare at her. She seems to understand they are curious, and she’s not offended by it.

She doesn’t see being different as a bad thing. Instead, she explained that being different “can make you achieve things you never imagined before.” She believes “someone can turn their disabilities into an advantage for themselves.”

Learn more about Gelgi in the video below.