By Elle Millar

I was taller than my first grade teacher – in the first grade.

One of the boys in my class asked if I was the teacher.

I was six.

Growing up as an über tall woman is a trial that very few experience. We are the gangly, uncoordinated kids who look like they should dominate in gym class, but are so self-conscious and awkward that we fumble or double-dribble or just collapse in a heap of limbs. We’re the ten-year-old girls whose legs are too long for regular length jeans, and have to shop in adult departments. We’re the kids who are seen as bullies, even if we’re shy and more interested in reading.

I topped out at 6’3” towards the end of the eighth grade. There was no traditional growth spurt in my case: I didn’t spurt up a foot in a single year. I started at an inch taller than my kindergarten classmates, and the gap simply grew.

The strangest thing about having a baby-face at that height is the bizarre attention you receive. I made a new friend in the beginning of seventh grade, and on our way to the mall I turned to her.

“So, um, a lot of people are going to talk to me.”

“Why?”

“…because I’m tall”.

“Hahaha… sure, right.”

She was astonished when she learned that I was right. Old ladies would ask me questions about my age and compliment my posture. Men would ask if I played basketball. Little kids would whisper, and I would feel the eyes of many follow me through the aisles of a store.

There is a strange, uncomfortable feeling of celebrity that accompanies being “different.” Why is it that the public feels compelled to touch, to ask, to invade?

My height was seen by most as an advantage, so there was no hesitation to interrupt my conversations or ask deeply personal questions – even though I was clearly a child.

Now that I am 26, I still get looks and whispers, but am less of an oddity. I’ve discovered that the people who would openly judge or comment on the appearance of an 11-year-old would not do the same to a tall woman at 26. And the few comments I do get are usually from other tall people who call me “shorty” as they pass, tossing me a knowing wink. We giants must stick together, after all.

Now that I’m an adult, I’m battling being a fetish. The majority of men who flirt with me in non-romantic places (not a nightclub, for instance) ask one of two things: how tall I am or what my heritage is. Apparently, I’m good breeding stock. And that is possibly the grossest way to approach a woman.

I was taller than my first grade teacher – in the first grade.

Only 0.4% of American women are above 5’11”.

I’ve got a few inches on them.

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By NAPHEESA COLLIER | Sept 30, 2019

In this as-told-to for Bustle's All American: Growing Up series, WNBA star and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier tells Bustle Lifestyle WriterJay Polish about growing up the tallest girl in school, the pains and perks of growing into her height, and what she'd tell her teenage self.

I've always been tall. I had a huge growth spurt every year - I just kept on growing. My family is not very tall. My mom is average height; my dad is about six feet tall. But his side of the family is really tall and my brother is 6'3''.But even as a baby, I was tall.

I grew up in Jefferson City, Missouri. It's the capital, but it's a small town. And it was hard at first because being a girl, I was taller than all the boys in the class. My feet were always bigger; my hands were bigger. I was just kind of awkward. And I was just really long and skinny, so I was kind of growing into my body for a long time, tripping over my legs basically.

In first grade, I remember we would all have to sit next to each other crisscross applesauce. I would have to cross my legs, but I'm also not very flexible. I remember there was so much space between me and the next person because my legs are so much longer - I laughed about that with my friends.

I discovered basketball when I was in fourth grade. Up until that point, I had played a lot of sports. I was playing soccer for a long time, I ran track. In softball, I was the pitcher. My first basketball coach played with the softball team a lot, and she said I should try out for the basketball team because I was tall. Basketball was the sport that I chose to do from there. I continued playing volleyball and I ran track my first year of high school. But once I moved to St. Louis at 15 years old, it was pretty much all basketball from there.

Being the height I was - I was six feet tall when I was a freshman in high school - starting a new school actually wasn't that bad because I went to an all-girls high school. It wasn't as awkward as you would think just because I was surrounded by all girls, so I didn't care about my height as much. I actually wasn't the tallest at that school. I was friends with the girl who was taller than me, McKenna. We lived near each other and texted about carpooling for basketball before the first day of school.So, I didn't know she was taller than me until we met in person.

Being on the basketball team in high school was awesome. Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis is a really decorated school; they had won a bunch of state championships, so I knew they were a good team. We had a lot of great basketball players who went on to play D1 or D2 schools. We had a great coach, and we won state championships all three years I was there.

Growing into my height in college was a much different experience for me than in high school. I felt more normal than I ever had before because at that point, everyone had pretty much reached their maximum height. When Igotto college, I was surrounded by girls who were taller than me, especially being on the basketball team. The men's basketball team, who we saw most of the time, almost all of them were taller than me.

But I would go to class and I would still be the tallest person, unless there was another athlete in there. Sitting at desks was always awkward because it was never the right size for me. My legs hung out and my knees touched the top of the desk, because they're not made for tall people.

Before I knew where my height would take me, my mom would always say that she would love to be tall. (But she's my mom so she has to say those things, I felt.) Looking back now, I understand that.

I would definitely tell my younger self to embrace her height because it's what's gotten me to this point in my life, and I couldn't picture it any other way. Playing basketball, doing what I do now - if I weren't tall, I probably wouldn't be doing it. I felt awkward a lot, but it's the thing that has gotten me to do the thing I love now. I'd tell myself to hang in there.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Need a handy woman? Women Repair Zone teaches women how to do home, auto repairs

February 5th, 2019 by Allison Shirk Collins

Belinda Harford stood in front of six women at a wood shop and garage off Amnicola Highway one week day evening in January and began teaching the group how to attach brackets to a shelf.

Harford is a tall woman with a thick accent that is a mix of the two places she grew up and then later lived - South Africa and Australia. She wore cowgirl boots, bedazzled jeans, a snake-skin patterned shirt and her long, blonde hair was tied to the side and adorned with colorful feathers. Her fingernails were painted bright red, and she wore a fringed leather tool belt around her waist.

While Harford doesn't look like the stereotypical contractor, she has over 30 years of experience in building and remodeling and learned everything she knows from her dad. It turns out they were good skills to have when she became a single mom later in life, she said.

"I never have a man, but even when I had a man, I was always the handy woman," she joked to the class.

Harford was the instructor for the "Creative Shelf Hanging" workshop organized by Women Repair Zone, a new business in Chattanooga founded by Bea Lurie, the former president and CEO of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga. The mission of Women Repair Zone is to have women instructors teach other women how to make basic home and auto repairs, which many women are traditionally not taught.

Lurie had a different experience with building than Harford. She was told by her father at a young age that remodeling and repairing were not things that girls needed to learn. When she was 10, her dad began renovating the family's basement, but when Lurie asked to help, her father turned her down.

"I was devastated," she recalled. "I was mortally wounded. I went back a week later, and he said the same thing."

As she got older and married, Lurie bought older homes in New York and Chattanooga and had to make calls for all of the repairs because neither she or her husband knew how to do them.

"It bothered me because I should be able to do basic auto repairs and maintenance and basic home improvement and repairs," Lurie explained. "It's expensive hiring people."

Nelly Alisheva, Tallest Woman in Russia, Resumes Volleyball Career

6’10” (2.06m) Nelly Alisheva, who in 2013 received a certificate from the Guiness Book of Records declaring her the tallest woman in Russia, has resumed her volleyball career with ProtonVolley. Alisheva retired last year after a career with MGFSO, Dinamo Moscow, and Dynamo-Yantar, missed the 2015-2016 season with an injury, and then in 2017 wound up retiring.

Last year, Alisheva worked as a fitness instructor, and in April attempted to return to the sport with Russian “Major League A” league team Lipetsk-Indesit in the 2nd tier of Russian volleyball, the club declined, saying that after a year-and-a-half off the court, they didn’t trust Alisheva’s conditioning.

But in Saratov, in the top Russian league, Alisheva was given a chance in training with Proton volley, where with a new coach, Igor Karpov, Proton has swapped out almost half of its roster for the 2018-2019 season.

The team finished 6th in the 12-team Russian Super League last season, winning 8 of its 18 matches.

Alisheva is expected to play at opposite for Proton when the season begins on October 27th, after the conclusion of the World Championships. Alisheva previously played for Protom in the 2014-2015 season.

Russia has a history of fielding very tall female athletes – their 2008 Olympic bronze medal winning basketball team included Yekaterina Lisina, who stands 6’9″ and has Guiness World Records as the world’s tallest professional model and as the woman with the world’s longest legs (52.4″). In the 1980s, Uljana Semjonova, who played for the Soviet team, was one of the world’s leading basketball players at just over 7 feet (217cm) tall. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Semjonova now has Latvian nationality, allowing Alisheva the title of tallest Russian woman.

The tallest woman to ever have her height reliably recorded was Zeng Jinlian, who stood 8 feet, 1.75 inches (2.43m) tall. She lived from 1964 until 1982.

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Netflix Finds Its 'Tall Girl'

7:30 AM PST 1/24/2019 by Gregg Kilday

Newcomer Ava Michelle has been cast in the high school comedy that Nzingha Stewart is directing.

After what it described as a worldwide casting call, Netflix has selected newcomer Ava Michelle for the title role of its comedy Tall Girl, which has begun production in New Orleans. Michelle, a 6-foot-1-inch-tall actress, dancer and model, will make her feature-film debut in the role of Jodie, a 16-year-old who is the tallest girl in her high school.

"It was essential for us to find an actor to portray our lead who can speak to the challenges and lessons that Jodi experiences from a very personal place of authenticity," Nzingha Stewart, the film's director, said in a statement. "Ava's ability to beautifully and uniquely showcase those attributes stood out to us in a way that we believe audiences will connect with. Tall Girlshowcases that embracing the very qualities that make you different is what allows you to overcome anything."

The film also stars Griffin Gluck (American Vandal) as Jack Dunkleman, Jodi's best friend; Luke Eisner (The Goldbergs) as Stig, a handsome and equally tall Swedish foreign exchange student; Sabrina Carpenter (The Hate U Give) as Harper, Jodi's older sister; and Paris Berelc (Alexa & Katie) as Liz, the unconventional best friend of Jodi's bully.

Rounding out the cast are Steve Zahn (Valley of the Boom) as Richie Kreyman, Jodi's manic and anxious dad, and Angela Kinsey (Haters Back Off!) as Helaine Kreyman, Jodi's former pageant-queen mom.

Additional castmembers include Anjelika Washington (DC Universe's Stargirl) as Fareeda, Jodi's best friend; Clara Wilsey as Kimmy, the most popular girl at school and Jodi's nemesis; and Rico Paris as Schnipper, a popular jerk and one of Jodi's regular tormentors.

Directed by Stewart, who is repped by Paradigm and Management 360, and written by Sam Wolfson, the film is Netflix's fourth collaboration with Wonderland's McG and Mary Viola. Wonderland's Corey L. Marsh serves as a producer.

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Nia Jax, 6'0"

There’s one thing that’s painfully clear when someone steps in the ring with Nia Jax — she’s not like most Divas.

The cousin of The Rock, the 6-foot-tall Jax has towered over other women for as long as she can recall. She was kicked out of activities like karate, kickboxing and judo as a child because someone always ended up getting hurt at her hands.

Jax eventually turned her attention toward the world of modeling, but still hungered for competition. She made her way to the WWE Performance Center, where she learned to harness her aggression in the squared circle. She blows all the other Divas away in terms of power, holding all of the Performance Center’s lifting records.

That gives Jax a unique advantage in the ring. She can overpower any Diva with ease, which she showed in her debut match in NXT. Jax dominated her competition, squeezing the air out of her opponent with a crushing bear hug before viciously slamming her into the mat to earn the victory. She will look to come back stronger after losing a close contest to Bayley at NXT TakeOver: London.

In the weeks leading up to her NXT debut, Nia Jax stated that greatness is her destiny. Her powerful skill set may ensure that she reaches it sooner than anyone expects.

Visit her Facebook page

Online shopper's trousers arrive with comically long legs

By Kahla Preston

There’s nothing quite like ripping open an eagerly-awaited online shopping order… only to discover it’s nothing at all like what you expected. The latest victim to this cruel, cruel phenomenon is an Edinburgh woman named Dan, who treated herself to a pair of flared trousers from retailer Pretty Little Thing. The high-waisted jersey pants looked perfectly normal on the screen, but in reality they wouldn't have been out of place in Gumby's wardrobe.

Dan tweeted a photo holding the ludicrously long garment against her body, with the waistband reaching the top of her chest. “Seriously???? do @OfficialPLT think am f---ing slenderman," she wrote. The makeup artist followed this with a photo of herself wearing the pants, their hems stretching several inches beyond her feet. 

One follower pointed out that the model in the original photo was wearing heels, but the makeup artist said it didn’t make a difference for her. “The model isn't that much taller than me, she wears a size 8 and i'm wearing a 6. i tried them with heels and they are still about 5 inches too long,” she wrote. If it’s any consolation, Dan isn’t the only online shopper who’s found herself with a pair of comically long pants.

Last month, a fellow Pretty Little Thing shopper had purchased the same design, only to discover the waistband reached just under her chin. Another woman who owned the pants responded to Dan’s tweet, explaining they still touched the floor when she wore them with platform heels. Others shared photos and videos of themselves attempting to wear and walk in similarly long trousers and jumpsuits.

Not everyone was horrified by the giraffe-like legs, however; plenty of tall women chimed in to find out where they could buy the trousers.

“I’m dying to know the actual inseam length. You may have found a unicorn for us. #tallgirlproblems,” one wrote. Pretty Little Thing responded to Dan’s tweet, suggesting their petite range might offer the solution.

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Online shopping? For the tall and large of foot, it’s a mixed bag

By Denise Snodell, Columnist, October 08, 2019 12:00 AM,Updated October 08, 2019 12:00 AM

It was 1:30 a.m. when I awakened. I might have heard a sound, like the ice maker clanking in the fridge. Or maybe it was one of those mysterious cracks a house makes. Wood floors can be expressive when adjusting to humidity swings.

I mentally walked through different parts of the house with bump-in-the-night theories. My pillow-based thoughts stopped at the front door. Boom -I realized I’d forgotten to check for a pair of shoes from Amazon. Was it a package thief making a getaway noise? Nah, I concluded, it was likely an inconsiderate kitchen appliance.

Ironically, I tracked the heck out of the package for a few days, but once it was finally “out for delivery” I failed to check the porch before I went to bed. Here’s a replay of my thoughts that night, which addresses doormat anxiety, one of several downsides to online shopping:

If the package is out there, it can wait until morning.

No it can’t.

Yes it can.

No it can’t.

But if I go get the package now, I’ll make a racket and awaken my husband. Not worth it. Don’t do it.

Then again, it could rain horizontally and destroy my purchase. Also, if my Amazon box is out there, it must look like we’re out of town. Not a good thing.

Worst of all - I could lose that rare pair of size 10½ women’s shoes! This internet find was like an aptly named Sasquatch sighting.

I hopped out of bed, made a racket, and retrieved the package. Because they were shoes.

Online shopping has turned me into a monster. I still prefer brick and mortar hunting and gathering, but physical stores absolutely fail tall women who simply want sleeves that reach wrists and pants that cover ankle bones. Along with footwear that fits.

It’s not my fault all the retailers I can easily drive to have enormous petite sections but nothing for the other side of the bell curve. Even shoe department salespeople back away from me when I announce I’m just past the magical stock cutoff of 10 but some 10’s might fit. They’ll only pay attention to me if I’m the only one there. No reason to lose commissions from all the browsing 7’s.

So online shopping has sort of been my salvation, even though I wind up sending back half of what I order. If you’re still reading at this point, here is your reward: I recently learned you can return Amazon orders at many Kohl’s locations. When you do, they slap you with a 25% off store coupon to lure you further into the building. A clever reminder there’s still a 3-D shopping world (minus tall person stuff, but hey: robes and blenders). It’s a crazy feedback loop I’ve been swirling in the last few months and I want it to stop.

Research, order, get package, try on, thumbs down, return at Kohls, wander aimlessly, repeat.

To minimize returns, I’ve learned to rely on customer reviews. If one person says an item is chintzy, it usually is. If enough folks rave about a hoodie, it’s likely a good one. But this fact-finding takes a lot of time and blows any illusion of click-and-buy convenience.

A possible e-commerce upside is the entertainment unwittingly provided by overseas merchants who are painfully unaware of Google Translate. I recently bought (and returned) a loose, unstructured jacket that was described as having a “stylish eccentric collar” that you can wear to “participate in party clubs.” The sales pitch rapidly deteriorated from there, tact-wise: “It can completely cover the obese body and perfectly modify the figure.” What?

I’m not completely sold on this intergalactic shopping alternative, but I’m happy to report the shoes I “picked up” on the front porch at 1:30 a.m. fit like a dream.

Reach Denise Snodell at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on Twitter @DeniseSnodell

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"How's the weather up there?"

"Do you happen to play basketball?"

"Would you mind wearing flats?"

I am part of a distinct breed of women, a type that can often be spotted from a distance. Our demographic in America forms a relatively small group but one that is rather difficult to miss, unless we happen to be lounging in a chair, driving a car or tying our shoes.

Read the full article on the Daily Beacon website

Women blessed with supermodel pins but struggling to find clothes to dress them, will soon have a new source to shop.

Brampton, Canada, January 07, 2020 --(PR.com)-- Most tall women can get away with some clothing in standard sizes; however, for wardrobe staples like jeans and trousers, it’s a headache trying to find longer lengths. Targeted at women 5’8” and above, Nickie’s fashion boutique, Regal Beauty Group, offers a fantastic selection of high quality, contemporary pieces at affordable prices.

The boutique embraces elegance and simplicity and will feature occasion wear constructed from refined fabrics that boast clean lines, sophisticated details and a touch of vintage. From dresses and trousers to skirts and blouses, super cool tall girls will no longer have to settle for standard size wardrobe pieces that look awkward. Sizes range from XS to Large with silhouettes that not only fit but flatter.

Sherisse Nickie is the Founder and Chief Executive Optimist (CEO) of Regal Beauty Group. Explaining her motivation for launching the boutique, she said: "Shopping for clothes can be challenging when you are above average height. As a tall woman myself, I understand the struggles when it comes to finding clothing that fits. It took a lot of deep soul-searching, introspection, and long sessions of brainstorming to take this idea from conception through funding and development, but I’m excited to be able to give other tall women more fashion options."

For further details or to be the first in line to browse and purchase from this elegant selection in tall fashion, visit: http://regalbeautygroup.ca/. Also, sign up to receive the latest scoop on promotions, sales, and new products.

Contact Information

Regal Beauty Group
Sherisse Nickie
647-882-3144
Contact
http://regalbeautygroup.ca/ 

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Here are is some stuff I couldn't find a place for elsewhere on the website. Here we focus a little more on the lighter side of things.

Overlooking The Perfect Man: 5 Science-Backed Reasons Shorter Men Lead To Happily Ever After

The prince charming that may lead you to happily ever after may just be under 5-foot-9

By Lizette Borreli

Most women can describe the perfect man in three words: tall, dark, and handsome. Height is perceived as a show of capability, strength, and power, which in theory makes a woman's ideal mate. However, women who decide to tip the scales in favor of shorter guys are not getting the shorter end of the stick.

The average American man, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 5-foot-9, 195.5 pounds, and has a waist circumference of 39.7 inches. Still, many women scoff at the idea of dating shorter men, dismissing their other attributes, especially in New York City. The likelihood of a man under 5-foot-9 being contacted by a Manhattan or Bronx woman online is a scant 1.2 percent, with Brooklyn coming in with a paltry 2.4 percent response rate, according to a study conducted by the dating site AYI.com, which analyzed 50,000 interactions over two months.

Women's preference for taller men stems from an evolutionary perspective that taller men generally tend to be healthier and better providers. The reasoning behind why our ape-like human ancestors began walking upright and why women like taller men has to do with the cavemen days. Men who were first to be upright on two feet had an advantage over those stuck on all fours, meaning they could hit harder and hit downward, giving standing men a clear advantage, according to a study published in the journal PLOS ONE. For women, it wasn't about winning a fight but about who could defend the resources and family.

Despite the influence evolution has had on our natural preferences, it's time to go against the odds and see why dating shorter men may actually lead to happily ever after.

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Joerg says: I'm just going to leave this here

By Pam Stone
For the Herald-Journal

Published: Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 6:15 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, April 8, 2016 at 9:18 a.m.

This recent legislation that was allegedly hustled through in North Carolina, opponents will tell you, is far less about bathrooms and far more about the denying of civil rights.

The governor argues no civil rights have been changed.

Others who aren't sure can read the bill in its entirety.

But the bathroom aspect of it, the new "you must use the bathroom that corresponds with the gender recorded on your birth certificate" (although it appears no one told Pat McCrory that it is legal in North Carolina for a transgender to change their gender on their birth certificate), has quite frankly, made me pretty nervous. I mean, I go into North Carolina a lot on business, and in some of the larger cities there have been clashes as supporters have stood with cardboard signs reading, "NO MEN IN WOMEN'S BATHROOMS!" while proponents shout back, "NO HATE IN MY STATE!"

And then in the meantime, I might have to go to the bathroom. All flat-chested 6-feet, 2-inches of me.

Now, what would you do? Listen, I've been called "Sir" enough in my life by cashiers, not quite looking up as they've given me back my change (as well as one that stared me straight in the eyes and replied, "if you say so," upon my correcting her) to know that I could probably pass as a guy. An incredibly skinny guy with a penchant for hair bands, but a guy. Seriously, if you saw me walking along with Caitlyn Jenner, you'd probably think, "Huh, she looks OK, but weird that she didn't get breast implants."

So which bathroom should I go in if I encounter protesters or suspicious glances? And keep in mind this could be after lunch and two sweet teas and my bladder's about to pop. Do I go into the woman's bathroom, as usual, and risk threatening glares or do I dash into the men's and encounter possible violence and get so rattled that I make the horrific mistake of misjudging the urinal for a bidet? And will there now be Potty Patrols to enforce this new law? Exactly how will that work? Might make an interesting segment for Mike Rowe on "Dirty Jobs."

See, you normal women of the 5-feet, 5-inches variety will go your entire life without ever even entertaining such an idea. But we Amazons who can sling the average Joe on the street (or Mike Rowe, because he's pretty cute) over our shoulder without a break in our stride, we have to think about this. We also have to think about how to quietly strangle the passenger in front of us on a plane that just kneecapped us by suddenly reclining their seat all the way back, constantly.

Look, I know I'm making light of a serious situation — as a comic that's all I can do because I don't know what's going to happen about this law. Supporters argue that without it straight men can dress up in drag to pretend to be transgender (like straight men have a clue of how to match colors) and prey on women. And opponents say that if you force a transgender to use the men's bathroom, they could be beaten up in what would have been called a hate crime, but now there is no legal protection whatsoever for them. There appears to be a vigorous fight underway to have the law overturned with businesses already pulling out or threatening to, and the governor replies that he is fine with those businesses who disagree. And as a resident of South Cakkalakki, it doesn't matter what I think, anyway, as I can't vote in their next election.

But if I do find myself in North Carolina anytime soon after drinking a trough of The Beacon Drive-In's ice tea, I'll be easy to spot: I'll be the one at the wheel of the Dodge truck on Interstate 85, breaking the sound barrier to get back home.

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People Told Gwendoline Christie She Was Too Tall to Be an Actor

Gwendoline Christie is a talented actress best known for her roles on Game of Thrones and Star Wars Episode VII. Because of her role on Game of Thrones, most people see her a tough as nails woman that doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. As hard as it is for us to imagine, once the camera stops rolling, most celebrities are exactly like us. They have to go through life's ups and downs the same way anyone else has to. And although she may look like an extremely confident woman now, she had to struggle with the same thing that most of us had to deal with when we were younger, which body image insecurities.

When you look at her, it may be hard to see anything that Gwendoline could possibly be insecure about, but apparently, she was told for most of her life that she was too tall. So, did her height hinder her chances at becoming an actor? Here is what we know about Gwendoline's height and acting career.

Gwendoline is 6'3" tall. That is pretty tall by anybody's standards. In Hollywood's standards, however, being an actress over 6 feet tall is almost unheard of. As of today, there are only a handful of actresses that reach the 6 feet mark. For an actress, being anything over 5'10" is considered pretty tall, so we can only imagine how self-conscience Gwendoline must have felt trying to fit into a world that seems to be made of petite women.

Gwendoline Christie was subjected to bullying due to her height

Gwendoline grew up in a small village in England. She has referred to the school that she attended when she was a child as a "village school in the countryside." She has also said that she had already reached 5'7" when she was just twelve years old. By the time she was 14, she was over 6 feet tall. Being that she was probably the tallest kid in school - maybe even the tallest kid that the other children had ever seen - she had to endure years of being bullied and teased for her height.

When she was older, she had realized that she wanted to become an actress. She attended the infamous Drama Centre London and was told by her teachers that her height would make it difficult for her to land a prominent acting job. Her height did make it harder for her, but that didn't stop her from pursuing her dream.

Gwendoline Christie has embraced her differences

Even though other people had commented on her height throughout her entire life, Gwendoline had never looked at her height as anything negative. She had recently done an interview with Vogue. When the interviewer had asked her about being bullied as a child because of her height, Gwendoline replied: "I would rather talk now about how the obstacle has been overcome."

She then went on to talk about how she never really gave any thought to what other people's opinions were. In reference to when she first began acting, Gwendoline had said: "I never really gave too much stock to were the realities were, because it seemed even my infant mind that nothing interesting got done if you accepted the limitations other people put on you."

Luckily, Gwendoline had the right train of thought that allowed her to not only pursue her dreams but to achieve them as well. She has gotten several extremely prominent acting jobs in some of Hollywood's biggest movies. And thanks to her tall stature, she landed a lead role in one of the most-watched television shows of this decade. Manny girls now consider here a role model as they watched her transform into a tough warrior in Game of Thrones.

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All this incessant worship of the hourglass, under the premise of promoting 'body confidence' has served to do is replace one very narrow beauty paradigm with another

Please help my good friend Ashley who is 6'7" and the tallest woman in Ohio. Sadly Ashley is suffering from Marfan Syndrome and is currently in great pain

Ashley's Wheelchair & Medical fund 

In 1992 I was 4 years old. It was during '92 that my father died from an aortic dissection. He was diagnosed, posthumously with Marfan Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that can wreak havoc on every part of the affected person's body. He was a man who stood 7ft tall, played basketball for Iowa State University, and lived his entire life with a diagnosis he never received. Medical knowledge of Marfan Syndrome was just starting to form in the 90's.

Three years later, at the age of 7, I was diagnosed with the same disorder. At the age of 11, when I stood 6ft tall, I was told I had to stop all strenuous physical activity immediately, or risk a sudden, unexpected death (due to aortic dissection).
I stopped playing sports and started receiving annual echocardiagrams, and began seeing specialists at The Ohio State University's medical center.

By the age of 18 my height finally began to slow, and I stood at a towering 6'7" tall. Let's just say THAT alone has been an adventure (LOL!). Don't be surprised if you see me walking around in an Ohio winter with capris on. At one time they were designed to be long pants but with 42" legs there's only so much a girl can do!

I married my first love, Robert, at the age of 18. He was in the Marine Corps and had just returned from his second deployment. We lived together in California until he was restationed in North Carolina. As soon as we got to North Carolina I found a new team of specialists at Duke Medical Center. They were fantastic. While many would complain about the military healthcare we received, I couldn't say a negative word. I was able to get the care & medications I needed to thrive!

Things were going well. I had several medical issues that were attributed to Marfan Syndrome (scoliosis, sciatica, became legally blind without glasses, etc) but they were nothing I couldn't manage with the help of the great team at Duke.

Robert & I in 2006, living in Twentynine Palms, CA 

However, my life was about to be rocked. In July of 2011 my best friend, a beautiful 19 year old gospel singer named Caitlyn Culpepper was murdered outside our home while I was asleep inside. She was a victim of domestic violence. My husband, at this point a Sgt in the Marine Corps with 8 years in the service and 26 months spent deployed, had been diagnosed with PTSD while serving his final tour in Iraq.

In September of 2011 Robert committed suicide in our home in North Carolina. I became a widow in my early 20's.

I came home to Ohio to try and rebuild a life for myself. By this point my physical health problems had started to affect my daily life. It was almost as if the grief and anxiety wrecked my body. I can honestly say I haven't been the same since.

Robert & I in 2010, we were at MCAS Cherry Point, NC here 

In the last three years my health has declined dramatically. When I lost my husband I no longer had my health insurance through the military. I could no longer afford doctor's visits, medications, and preventative care for basic health, let alone to manage my Marfan Syndrome.

One of the most painful and frustrating aspects of my condition is the effect it has on my bones. They're weak. Did you know that connective tissue has a huge impact in the formation of your bones?

In the last two and a half years I've had three stress fractures (two in my left leg, one in my right) and two tumors (which were determined to be benign but I was advised to have them monitored every 3-6 months to make sure they haven't grown or become aggressive).

I'm a 26 year old young woman who loves to laugh, joke, and have fun. But I have no quality of life left. I'm no longer able to walk through the grocery store because of lower back issues (a condition called Dural Ectasia) that cause intense pain, numbness, and tingling when I stand or walk for more than five to ten minutes. My health has deteriorated to the point where it's physically exhausting to get out of bed most mornings. My mental health is honestly about the same.

Due to my physical health problems I'm unable to work. I had originally begun Cosmetology School to become a nail artist. I thought if I could just make it through my year of schooling I'd be able to have a career that allowed me to sit. I made it 7 months before the pain was too overwhelming to continue.
I'm currently a full time student, majoring in Human Services. I want to help people who are in situations like myself. I want to be the person that answers the phone at your local agency (Job & Family Services, for example) who says, "It's going to be okay. And I'm going to do everything I can to help you". But I've come to realize, at the age of 26, that I may never have the chance to work. I may have to file for disability before the age of 30.

In the meantime, bills are mounting. Medical bills, utility bills, etc. I have to visit local food pantries often in order to eat. I DO recieve a small benefit each month from the VA, but it wasn't designed to be able to live on. I was, however, attempting to keep my head above water.

Anyone who has lived through physical pain, mental anguish, and seemingly unclimbable mountains, knows that 'when it rains it pours'. And it's pouring for me.

The last two weeks I've been experiencing excruciating pain through my left leg. I went to the same orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed my first stress fractures and found out that they believe I have not only another tumor, but another stress fracture as well. And this one lines up with the first one I had on the other side of the leg. They meet in the middle and form a line straight through my leg.

I was devestated. Incase you don't know, a stress fracture is basically a broken bone that hasn't become completely detached from itself. And this is my fourth. I don't work out, I don't run, I don't play sports..I just have Marfan Syndrome.

I started to cry and asked the doctor what he wanted me to do. He immediately told me to get OFF of my legs. He said crutches weren't an option. That I could put all my weight on my RIGHT leg because that pressure can cause another fracture to develop there as well. He looked at me and said, "Ashley if you don't get into a wheelchair you could take a step and your leg could literally snap in half".

He wants me in a wheelchair.

As it stands now I have $60 to my name.

I don't want to take a vacation, I don't want to buy a new wardrobe or a fancy new car. I honestly just want to be able to get myself a wheelchair (I have to special order one because of my size), pay for the medications I'm supposed to be on (I haven't been able to fill my prescriptions in months..including my blood pressure medication), catch up on my utility bills, and be able to afford to give someone gas money to get me back and forth to the hospital/school/etc.

I have a neurology appointment at the Cleveland Clinic (approximately an hour and a half away) in early November. The scheduling nurse advised me to come to town the night before and get a hotel room since my appointment is at 7:30AM. I told her I'd be lucky if I could even afford to get there, let alone have the luxury of spending the night beforehand.

I haven't had my aorta checked for an increase in dilation in years. I'd LOVE to be able to get to all the necessary specialists to have my heart, eyes, lungs, etc examined- but truth be told, I'm living day by day right now.

And TODAY I need a wheelchair.

A friend of mine suggested I look into gofundme. She explained that there are amazing people in the world who want to help others like myself. I spent hours pouring over the different people who have posted & donated here and have been humbled by their generosity toward other gofundme campaigns. It's mind blowing.

Please know that I don't have my hand out waiting for people to donate towards my need. If all you're able to do is say a prayer for me or spend some time researching and familiarizing yourself with Marfan Syndrome, I'm so appreciative. Awareness is huge, and being so rare, connective tissue disorders don't get much. If all you're able to do is share my story on Facebook or Twitter, thank you.

Thank you so much for your time. God Bless You :)

-Ashley

Visit Ashley's GoFundMe page

Visit Ashley's support page on Facebook

Tariq Saeed - Updated Mar 24, 2017 09:39am

TOBA TEK SINGH: Zainab Bibi, Pakistan’s tallest woman and a former holder of the ‘world’s tallest woman’ title in Guinness Book of World Record in 2003, has been suffering from diabetes and osteoporosis diseases.

She told reporters in her house in Rajana, 14 kilometres from Toba, that her height started increasing when she was 15. Now she is 45 years old. She said when she was 22, her height was 7’ 2.

Zainab has five sisters and belongs to a poor family. She is still single, as, according to her, her height was a hurdle in her marriage.

In 1998, she became a known figure when she appeared in PTV’s Neelam Ghar programme and in 2003 she was declared world’s tallest woman by Guinness Book of World Record. She has visited 15 countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Through public appearances in the country and abroad, she earned money. Back in 2008, she sought asylum in the UK on political grounds, but her plea was turned down.

She said when she was in exile in Saudi Arabia, she had met Nawaz Sharif there who had promised a monthly stipend and other measures to meet her needs after coming into power. She said she was just reminding Mr Sharif of his own words.

She said she was spending her days by using insulin and was even unable to go to hospital as she cannot travel by a bus or a rickshaw due to tallness and in critical illness she was forced to hire an ambulance to reach hospital. One of her sisters sells Pakoras outside the house and she bears Zainab’s needs. She urged the prime minister and the chief minister to help her get treatment and meet expenses.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2017

Read the original article

Zainab Bibi said the premier had promised to help her financially when he was living in Saudi Arabia under exile.

Tariq Saeed - Published Apr 12, 2017

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday fulfilled a promise he had made to Zainab Bibi - country's tallest woman at 7' 2" and a former holder of 'World's Tallest Woman' title in Guinness Book of World Record 2003 - and got a cheque worth Rs2 million delivered to her in her hometown in Toba Tek Singh district.

In a previous interview with Dawn, the 45-year-old Zainab said that she was suffering from diabetes and osteoporosis. She recalled her meeting with the premier back when he was living in exile in Saudi Arabia, claiming that he had promised her a monthly stipend as well as devise measures to facilitate her once he came to power.

Following up, the premier got a cheque worth Rs2 million delivered via the area's deputy commissioner to an ailing Zainab.

The seven-feet-two-inches-tall woman has five sisters and belongs to a poor family. She remains single, as, according to her, her height had been a hurdle in finding a suitor for marriage.

Zainab became a known figure in 1998 when she appeared in PTV's Neelam Ghar programme. In 2003, she was declared world's tallest woman by Guinness Book of World Record. She has visited 15 countries, including the UK, France, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Through public appearances in the country and abroad, she was able to earn a living.

She uses insulin to get by and says she cannot even visit a hospital as her height makes it increasingly difficult to travel by bus or a rickshaw. During emergencies, she calls ambulances to travel.

Narrating her plight, Zainab said one of her sisters sells pakoras outside their house and cares for all of Zainab’s needs, which was an added burden on the poverty-stricken family.

Read the original article

Maria Magdalena Andrejczyk is only 5'9", but she really stands out. Here's an article from NPR:

An Olympian Sold Her Silver Medal To Fund A Boy's Surgery. The Buyer Let Her Keep It

August 19, 2021 | 3:02 PM ET

Just days after the Tokyo Olympics, a Polish javelin thrower auctioned off her silver medal to help pay for an infant's heart surgery.

Maria Magdalena Andrejczyk announced on Facebook last week that she would sell her medal and put the proceeds toward an operation for 8-month-old Miłoszek Małysa. According to a fundraiser page, the boy is under home hospice care and requires an urgent operation in the United States.

This week, Andrejczyk announced the auction winner.

The Polish convenience store chain Żabka placed the top bid, paying $125,000 for the silver medal, according to media reports.

But instead of collecting its prize, Żabka announced it would let Andrejczyk keep the silver medal after all.

"We were moved by the beautiful and extremely noble gesture of our Olympian," the company said in a Facebook post translated from Polish. "We also decided that the silver medal from Tokyo will remain with Ms. Maria, who showed how great she is."

The 25-year-old athlete nabbed second place during the Olympic women's javelin throw final in early August.

After the auction closed, Andrejczyk said in a translated Facebook post that the medal was to her a "symbol of struggle, faith and the pursuit of dreams despite many adversities."

She added: "I hope that for you it will be a symbol of the life we ​​fought for together."

Read the original article

P.S.: NPR forgot to mention that Ms. Andrejczyk is "familiar with adversity". She missed placing in the 2016 Rio Games by a few centimeters. In 2018, she was diagnosed with bone cancer.