Thailand’s tallest woman Malee Duangdee who was once recorded by Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s tallest woman with a height of 214 cm has died of high blood pressure at the age of 24.A sketchy report said that she was rushed to Borai district hospital in Trat province with high blood pressure and she was later pronounced dead.

Her body was later taken to Wat Chang Klua in Tambon Huey Raeng, Muang district by her parents, Mr Man and Mrs Jee Kohsod.

However, it was discovered that her body could not be put into the coffin as it is too small and a new coffin has to be made.

Here is a more detailed article

Viewers take offence at Miranda and accuse Doctor Who of promoting a gay agenda... and don't get them started on Bake Off playing Handel

For some, the problem is that Doctor Who is promoting a gay agenda. Others object to characters in a drama taking their eyes off the road while driving. And then there are those who found one popular sitcom offensive to all tall women.A report examining complaints received by the BBC over a 19-month period has thrown a light on the sheer variety of subjects which prompt viewers' objections, from Americanisms and poor grammar to the use of metric over Imperial measurements.

But while it may be a simple matter of editorial judgment whether to use pounds or kilograms, there is no accounting for viewers' tastes.

The report, published by the BBC Trust, found that one viewer considered that Miranda, the BBC One comedy, unfairly ridiculed tall women (the eponymous heroine, Miranda Hart is 6ft tall, or 1.85m if you prefer), while another argued that showing the police and hospital staff in popular dramas at a bar after a "shift" was a "bad example".

One person complained that the reporting of women's deaths in Gaza as "newsworthy" was offensive to men, while three believed Doctor Who was promoting homosexuality.

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A mundane coincidence turns into a mild obsession with the uniquely tragic life of a 7'7" Indiana woman who died a folk hero.

In 1976, in Shelbyville, Ind., a city of about 20,000 southeast of Indianapolis, a film premiere was held. The picture was Fellini's Casanova. A highly conceptual Italian art house flick about sexual deviance was not what this audience was used to; the house, nonetheless, was packed. A local was in it, a 21-year-old everyone knew about but whom few knew well. She now sat nervously waiting for it to start, concerned about what her neighbors were going to think of it, of her.

"For his giant work, he even imported a giantess from America," one news article about the picture had read, a find that had ended director Federico Fellini's, "worldwide search for an amazon."

She was credited: "Sandra E. Allen – Giantess."

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By Andrea Morabito - June 5, 2016 | 5:43am 

Blond and athletic, Katja Bavendam is used to turning heads.

As she walks down Chambers Street in Tribeca, a woman stops the 31-year-old to snap a photo. Another woman leans out of her car window in traffic to yell, “You’re beautiful!” Several other people do double-takes as they pass her on the sidewalk.

Such is life as a 6-foot-8-inch woman in New York City.

Bavendam is starring in Season 2 of TLC’s “My Giant Life” (premiering Tuesday at 10 p.m.), which follows the lives of six women over 6-foot-6-inches. They’re from all over the country, though being extremely tall in a crowded city like New York brings a unique set of trials and tribulations.

“Cabs are tight, the regular [ones]. I hail whatever stops by, but that’s definitely uncomfortable,” Bavendam tells The Post. “The subway, I usually get in at the middle door because at the end of the car there’s the AC units, so there’s less headroom. When it’s really crowded . . . if I turn around and make a wrong move, I literally elbow people in the face, and I don’t want to do that.”

Though her height didn’t stop her from marrying a shorter person (her wife, Julie, is 5-foot-2) or adopting two lap dogs (a beagle-Chihuahua mix and a terrier mix), there are certain “rules of life” when you’re 6-foot-8: Always pay for the extra-legroom seats on a flight.

Never take long bus trips. And avoid attending a show or play if it’s not worth sitting knees-to-chest for three hours.

Though there are pitfalls - Bavendam’s Tribeca studio apartment only fits a full-size bed — such height also comes with benefits, like always having an unobstructed view at a concert and never finding your face in someone else’s sweaty armpit on a rush-hour subway.

“It’s nice, you always have your own bubble and breathing room,” says Bavendam, who works as a traffic engineer at an urban planning firm near Madison Square Park.

She comes from a tall family: Bavendam’s mother is exactly 6 feet and her father and sister are both 6-foot-3-inches. So for the new TV star - who grew up in Germany and moved to Manhattan in 2011 - participating in “My Giant Life” was just a way to harness the attention she’s drawn her whole life.

“I get approached so much and my picture is floating around on fetish Web sites; I already feel like a public person,” she says. “I might as well have some fun with it... because my life already feels like I’m part of a show. People [on the street] feel entitled to talk to me and ask for my life story.” Graciously, Bavendam views the spotlight as more amusing than annoying.

“I find it fascinating that people are fascinated with my height.”

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At The Players’ Tribune, we know it’s not just what you wear on the field, but what you wear off of it. That’s why we’ve created Threads Report, a series where we ask our contributors to look inside their closets, suitcases, lockers and whatever else — and share some items they’ve had in heavy rotation.

Here with the latest Threads Report is Los Angeles Sparks forward (and jeggings advocate) Nneka Ogwumike.

#BlogLife

About two years ago, I really started to get into fashion. Fashion is about feel and intuition — there’s an art to it, for sure. But at the same time, I’m a studier. I’m a thinker. And so I had to put my own personal spin on Fashion 101. I started studying different blogs.

And then I started checking out — and later shopping on — certain websites, especially those that cater to tall women. There are quite a few out there that most people don’t know about.

One of my go-to places is ASOS. They sell a lot of different clothes from other vendors, but then they also have their own ASOS line. And they have a great tall section. Long Tall Sally has a great shoe section, called Barefoot Tess. Alloy is awesome — they have 38-inch inseam pants, which is insane. And then Nordstrom Rack always has a good selection of items in my size.

Fashion has been a learning experience in general, but especially when it comes to shopping as a tall woman. One lesson I’ve learned is that any short dress you wear is going to look shorter than it needs to be. Always. I’ve also learned that maxi-type dresses or skirts look beautiful on tall women. You can never go wrong with anything floor length.

And then maybe the most important lesson I’ve learned is that looking beautiful doesn’t have to be about compromise. For example, some tall women will shy away from heels … but, personally, I feel that you can’t go wrong with them. They obviously accentuate your height — but to me, that’s the point. When tall women wear heels, it instills a confidence. And pants are the same way: a lot of times, tall women feel compelled to compromise in the store, and to just accept that the pants they want will be capris. But I say no — go find pants that are long enough. They exist. I like when my fashion choices can express that I’m not rejecting my height. I’m owning it.

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Top Ten Tallest Tennis Players On The WTA Tour

RISHI KARTHIKEYAN
DECEMBER 26, 2019

Women are usually shorter because of their genetics. There are some women who are extremely tall which may provide them an advantage in tennis. Here are the tallest tennis players on the WTA Tour.

1. Eva Hrdinova – 6 feet 3 inches

Eva Hrdinova is the tallest woman to have ever played tennis which his her only claim to fame. She has not performed well in her tennis career reaching a career-high ranking of world no. 168. She has also not won any WTA titles in singles and doubles. However, she has won many ITF titles in both singles and doubles winning a total of 22 ITF titles.

2. Akgul Amanmuradova – 6 feet 3 inches

Akgul Amanmuradova stands as the tallest woman to have ever played tennis along with Eva Hrdinova. She has had a good career reaching a career-high ranking of no. 50 in singles and no. 36 in doubles. She has also won 2 WTA titles in doubles along with 12 ITF titles. She has also won 9 ITF titles in singles.

3. Lindsey Davenport – 6 feet 2 1/2 inches

In addition to being one of the tallest, Lindsay Davenport was also one of the best tennis players of her time. She won 55 WTA titles and 38 WTA titles which include 3 grand slams in each. She was also the world no. 1 in both singles and doubles and won the tour finals in both. She is also famous for playing one of the greatest matches in the final of the 2005 Wimbledon which lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes.

4. Maria Sharapova – 6 feet 2 inches

Maria Sharapova was one of the tallest and best players of her time. Over the course of her career, she has won 36 WTA titles which include 5 Grand Slams. She is one of the only active players to have completed the Career Grand Slam. In recent years, she has been remembered more for the doping scandal than her achievements. We should remember Maria Sharapova for her achievements which include being one of the tallest tennis players.

5. Karolina Pliskova – 6 feet 1 inch

Karolina Pliskova is a tall player who has been doing very well in recent years. She is currently the world no. 2 but she used to be the world no. 1. She has won 15 WTA titles over her career. Her biggest achievement was reaching the final of the 2016 US Open where she lost to Angelique Kerber. Karolina Pliskova has progressed to the final stages of Grand Slams many times so we should see her winning Grand Slams soon.

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Tricia Helfer is a Canadian model turned actress who has developed her resume beyond the catwalk to include a diverse array of roles, highlighting her versatile and natural screen presence. Best known as the face of the series, and for her Leo award-winning lead performance as the humanoid, Cylon 'Number Six' in the critically acclaimed SyFy series, "Battlestar Galactica," written and produced by Ronald D. Moore, Helfer has gone on to book leading and guest roles on a wide variety of networks.

She will be seen next in executive producer Sofia Vergara's ABC series, "Killer Women," debuting in early 2014. The series follows beautiful badass Molly Parker (Helfer), the only woman in the notorious Texas Rangers frontier patrol, as she pursues justice despite being embroiled in a continuous fight for her peers' respect.

Born in Donalda, Alberta, Canada, Helfer launched her modeling career at age 17, and erupted into an international superstar after winning the Ford Models' Supermodel of the World Contest in 1992. Her modeling credits include appearances in high-end ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Givenchy, and Dolce & Gabbana as well as covers for national publications such as ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Flare and Vogue.

In 2002, Helfer turned her focus to acting, moving to Los Angeles and quickly earning a guest star spot on the second season finale of "C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation." The following year she earned her break with "Battlestar Galactica," achieving a remarkably fast and successful transition into acting. During her hiatus from "Battlestar Galactica," Helfer portrayed the legendary Farrah Fawcett in NBC's film, "Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels." She furthered expanded her portfolio by starring as 'Stephanie Jacobs' opposite Dennis Hopper and Billy Zane in the independent feature "Memory," and later starred alongside LeeLee Sobieski in another independent, "Walk All Over Me," which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Helfer returned to the small-screen in 2008, joining the cast of the USA Network's hit series, "Burn Notice" for a multi-episode arc. The next year she filmed recurring guest spots on the award-winning CBS comedy, "Two and a Half Men," while appearing on Fox's crime shows "Chuck," and "Lie to Me." In 2010, Helfer booked a ten-episode arc on Jerry Bruckheimer's "Dark Blue," starring opposite Dylan McDermott and appeared again at the Toronto International Film Festival in the film, "A Beginner's Guide to Endings," with Harvey Keitel, Scott Caan, and JK Simmons.

During this period, Helfer also did prolific voiceover work in mega-hit video game franchises, playing the roles of Commander Veronica Dare in Halo: ODST, EDI in Mass Effect 2, and Sarah Kerrigan in Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II: Wings of LIberty, where she won an award for Best Performance by a Human Female. She also showcased her voice talent in animated superhero productions, "Green Lantern: First Flight," a Cartoon Network TV movie, and on Disney XD's, "The Spectacular Spiderman."

Currently, in addition to filming "Killer Women," Helfer continues to support as many causes as she can, as she believes in giving back. Currently she has worked with the Humane Society of United States, Best Friends Animal Society, AmFAR, PETA, Kitten Rescue and Richmond Animal Protection Society.

Tricia, who has dual citizenship in the US and Canada, currently resides in Los Angeles.

Visit her website

Vegas comedian puts down roots in Enumclaw with new children's book

Krista Kay's new book, "A Head Above The Rest," is partially based on her journey in accepting her height.

By Ray Miller-Still Wednesday, June 24, 2020 10:10am

Comedian Krista Kay opted to not wear heels to her senior prom - she didn't want to tower over her date, she said.

Her height, a whole six-foot-five, has always been the first thing people notice about her.

"I was taller than literally every other kid in my class growing up," the new Enumclaw resident said in a phone interview. "It was pretty difficult."

Growing up in a small South Dakota town didn't help, either; "No one was tall," Kay continued. "I thought I was the only tall girl, ever."

But as she matured, Kay turned her insecurity about her height into a strength - and with her new children's book, "A Head Above The Rest," she hopes she can help other kids learn that lesson, too.

Published October 2019 and illustrated by Scotty Roberts, "A Head Above The Rest" is all about teaching kids to recognize that their differences make them unique, and that those differences should be celebrated, not denigrated.

"I have worked on myself to accept being different, because, of course, we can't change our height. It's one of those situations where you always have control over your perspective," Kay said. "I wanted to write the book to teach that lesson to kids at a younger age. If anyone is different in any type of way… if there's any insecurities around something that you don't have control over, I just wanted to empower kids to take control of their perspective."

One way Kay first changed her perspective was to put her height to use by playing basketball at Northern State University in South Dakota, where her skills and physical advantage helped her get placed on the top 10 list for most blocked shots in the country.

After enrolling in a master's program for counseling, Kay went pro, playing with Australia's Ringwood Hawks for one season in 2012 before getting her degree two years later.

For three years, she worked as a therapist, but decided in 2017 she wanted to branch out into comedy, thinking her education and experiences would lend themselves readily to such a career.

It was during this shift that her height gave her another unique opportunity - to star on TLC's documentary show, "My Giant Life," which features women who are at least six-foot-six (meaning for the first time in her life, Kay wasn't the tallest person around).

The show followed Kay as she moved from South Dakota to Las Vegas to start her comedy career. As a part of the show, she lived with her co-star Lindsay Howard, who towered over Kay at a whopping six-foot-nine.

It was around this time that Kay started writing "A Head Above The Rest," but it wouldn't be for another two years before the project came all together.

Although already having a TV credit lent her weight in the Vegas entertainment scene, it wasn't long before Kay decided she wanted to switch it up, and when COVID-19 shut the whole strip down, it was time for her to move to small-town Enumclaw and continue her career here (Kay's boyfriend already living here didn't hurt, either). She's been living here for about four months now.

"Vegas is really uncertain with the whole entertainment business anyway, and the things that I do can be done anywhere, anyway," she said. "It's just appealing to be back at a slower pace… Enumclaw is beautiful."

But just because she's no longer performing in Vegas, doesn't mean she's left all her entertainment skills behind.

In order to being a little joy to some kids stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kay has been hand-delivering books to her readers - in a giraffe costume.

"It's pretty cool to see the kids' face" when I deliver the book in costume, Kay said. "I'm just trying to create something where people can still celebrate and have a surprise or something like that, even though they're stuck in their houses."

Once Kay is through finalizing her move to the Plateau, she hopes to get in touch with local venues for shows.

To learn more about Kay, or to book her for an event, head to http://kristakaycomedy.com/.

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Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williamswill be featured in this year's edition of ESPN The Magazine's The Body Issue, hitting stands July 11. A complete list of athletes featured, including 2013 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Tomas Berdych, will be announced Wednesday on ESPN.com...

...I had such a lackadaisical attitude toward being tall. I never really used to care; it just always helped me with my game. Sometimes women who are taller aren't comfortable with it, but I love being tall.

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Athlete. Entrepreneur. Best-selling author. Olympic Gold medalist. Activist. Designer. Daughter. Sister. Champion.

Biography

Growing up in a tight-knit family and coached by her parents Richard and Oracene, Williams entered the pro ranks of the Women's Tennis Association when she was 14 years old. Her attacking style and impressive physicality immediately caught the attention of the tennis industry. Soon, the whole world was watching Williams rack up 43 WTA Tour titles, three Olympic Gold medals, break the record for fastest serve ever recorded (129 mph) and compete in the longest finals match in Wimbledon history (two hours and 45 minutes)

In the early 2000s, she enrolled in an interior design program and became a Certified Interior Decorator. In 2002 she started V*Starr Interiors, a company that specializes in commercial and residential interior design. She followed that by obtaining an associated degree in fashion design and launching EleVen, her line of signature fashionable sportswear.

In July of 2010, HarperCollins published "Come To Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession" by Williams and co-author Kelly E. Carter. In the book, Williams interviews such luminaries as Sir Richard Branson, Condoleezza Rice, and Vera Wang about how their early experiences as competitive athletes helped forge their successful careers. A topic close to her heart, the book was a labor of love for Williams. That labor paid off when the book became a New York Times best seller.

Visit her website

This Swedish beauty can do just about anything you would expect a woman to be able to do. Nearly six feet tall, with platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes, Victoria's supermodel status and physical beauty is celebrated all over the world. She was the 2002 Maxim Woman of the Year, MISS SWEDEN, Playmate of the Year, former Guess? Model, and has appeared on the cover of hundreds of magazines around the world. Silvstedt recently starred in Artisan Entertainment's star-studded comedy, BOAT TRIP, opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., Roger Moore and Vivica Fox. BOAT TRIP chronicles the tales of two bachelors who sign up for an ocean cruise in the hope of meeting lots of beautiful women, only to realize it's exclusively full of gay men. Silvstedt also starred in the hilarious teenage comedy OUT COLD, and has expanded her talents to television, where she has hosted numerous TV specials around the world.

Victoria grew up in a close-knit family of five in a small village in Northern Sweden complete with the "midnight sun" (it was essentially dark 24 hours a day for three months each year). She was raised with, and maintains, her families' sensibilities to appreciate discipline, hard work and community. A gifted athlete, Victoria became a world-class member of the Swedish National Ski Team, ranking as high as fourth among her future Olympian teammates in the Super-Giant Slalom.

A devastating shoulder injury prematurely ended Victoria's Olympic dreams at the age of 16. But that was just the beginning of her career. Although at the time she was a complete teenage tomboy who had never even worn a pair of high heel shoes, Victoria's mother and sister secretly entered her into the 1993 Miss Sweden Beauty Pageant.

Never backing down from a challenge, Victoria strapped on heels for the first time in her life and walked tentatively across the pageant stage. Victoria's hard work and discipline helped prepare her for most things in life, but needless to say, she was surprised and overjoyed when she was declared the winner. The downhill skiing MISS SWEDEN 1993 was on her way to the Miss World Pageant in South Africa!

After the stunning beauty became a Finalist at the 1993 Miss World Pageant, Victoria was discovered by a Parisian modeling agent and began a career in high fashion working for highly selective fashion giants such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Loris Azzaro, Givenchy, Valentino and Giorgio Armani.

It was in the fall of 1996 when Victoria's career path took another unexpected turn. Hugh Hefner offered Victoria an opportunity to do a "quick photo shoot" for Playboy. Since Playboy Magazine is not distributed in Sweden and the European equivalents have far less visibility than in the US, Victoria had no idea what she was about to do. The "quick photo shoot" and "right back to Paris" of late October turned into a December 1996 Playmate of the Month and 1997 Playmate of the Year distinction in 4 short months.

A free-spirited European, Victoria herself is often amazed at the more conservative-minded people's reactions to a simple set of photos taken six years ago. Never to back down from a challenge, Victoria has worked extremely hard over the last years to "re-invent" herself and burnish the typical playmate image. As with everything that she does, Victoria persevered. Within a year, Victoria not only dropped the playmate stigma, but elevated herself as a world-class, high-fashion model by landing one of the most sought-after modeling contracts in the world – the GUESS? Print Ad and Spokesmodel campaign for 1998.

Victoria still remains a highly visible part of the modeling scene. She is featured on covers and countless celebrity feature interviews/layouts for mainstream magazines such as GQ, MAXIM, FHM, and GEAR both in the United States and in numerous European countries. Victoria's professionalism, beauty and class have also enabled her to successfully represent a number of major brands as a product spokesperson including Nike, Renault, Coors, Radisson, Killian's, and Blockbuster.

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See The 6-Foot-2 Amazon Model That Caught Beyoncé And Tina Knowles' Eye

She wants you to never "bow down" to those hating on height.

Not many people can say they’ve modelled for Beyoncé’s mom, Tina Knowles Lawson.

But when you have confidence (and a walk that won’t quit), you'll find yourself gracing the runways of New York and Paris Fashion Week - and making a debut at the Wearable Art Gallery honoring Beyoncé and Gloria Carter.

Meet Cole Woods: a 6-foot-2 fashion model, based in Los Angeles, whose life experiences would not have been possible if she paid the haters any mind. 

Growing up, Cole was always taller than other girls - which created several obstacles. From the struggle to find clothes that fit to dealing with rude comments, Cole had to make the best of her height in order to blossom into the person she is today. 

Constantly taller than the boys, Cole found herself pushed into the world of basketball. She not only excelled in the sport but was drafted to play professionally. 

Now she’s going viral thanks to an open letter she posted on Instagram that crushes the idea that being a tall woman is something to slump your shoulders about.

Despite her now 50K followers, Cole was surprised to learn there were so many others going through the same experience. 

“After I posted the ‘open letter’ to tall girls and women on my Instagram, I received so many positive responses,” Cole shared with BET Style exclusively.

“When I was writing it I didn’t even consider just how many other tall girls/women with the same experience were already following me! It has been very uplifting and it has really made me want to push myself even harder to reach platforms where I can continue to be an advocate/ambassador for those ‘taller than tall’ women.

“I just strive to be the type of woman that I’d like to see more of in the forefront of the media. A strong, intelligent, confident African-American woman that young girls and women can be proud to look up to.”

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Who is Buried in Famous Tall Betsy's Tomb?

"To Fort Hill Cemetery she will go, to her mausoleum, with YOU in tow!"

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - October 29, 2018 - (Newswire.com) 

Tall Betsy, the 7-foot 6.5-inch official goblin of Bradley County, Tennessee, is known worldwide for her legendary Halloween appearances at 150 Centenary Avenue in Cleveland, Tennessee. However, she wasn't always the "Official Spook of Cleveland."

In the early 1900's, Tall Betsy was a real person who happened to be very tall and walked the Cleveland streets at night. Speculation about the resident's identity varied. Some suspected she was a police officer who dressed in black to scare people off the streets. Others believed she was a tall woman garbed in black who roamed the streets only at night to avoid being gawked at because of her odd appearance.

Whatever her true identity, she was the perfect fodder for legend. Cleveland parents in the 1920's and 1930's told their children that if they failed to come home before dark, they would likely encounter Tall Betsy, sometimes called Black Betsy or simply The Lady in Black. 

Hearing this story from his mother and grandmother as a child, businessman Allan Jones became enamored with the tale. He dreamed of dressing up as the legendary lady, and made his first attempt in 1970 as a high school sophomore. In preparation, he dyed one of his mother's white sheets black with Ritz dye. He mixed the dye in a horse bucket out by their barn and started a fire under the bucket. He also cut down two saplings to use as stilts. Unfortunately, the stilts bowed while drying, causing Jones to appear less gruesome girlie and more bowlegged cowboy.

Though his initial attempt failed, Jones clung to his goal of donning Betsy's clothes and keeping her legend alive. Ten years later, his dream came to fruition.

"Cleveland's Central City Action Association, which later became MainStreet-Cleveland, wanted to establish an official downtown spook," Jones said. "I fought to make Tall Betsy the official spook, and I promised to make her costume and dress up like her if she won the title."

Thanks to Jones' insistence, Tall Betsy won out as the official spook of Cleveland. With Tall Betsy poised for local — and later, national — celebrity, Jones suddenly had to flesh out her backstory and he made it up off the cuff during an interview with the Cleveland Daily Banner.

Like the rest of the legend, the location of Betsy's permanent quarters came from this interview. The reporter asked where Tall Betsy resided, and Jones gave the first answer that popped into his head. He said the Lady in Black lives in a mausoleum at the highest point of Fort Hill Cemetery, where Jones became a legend in his own right.

"Around 1969 my friends and I, who were all around 16 at the time, heard about a mausoleum in Fort Hill that had been vandalized," said Jones. "The result of the vandalism was that curious kids could look in and see the exposed casket." 

Jones and his friends visited the cemetery that summer and noticed that the back window bars of the mausoleum had been removed, and the inside had been vandalized.

"About 25 percent of the marble was lying in the floor, allowing me to look in at an old casket on the shelf," Jones revealed. "There were nearly 18-inches between the side and the casket, and a friend dared me to crawl in and lay next to the casket. Then he double-dog dared me. So I crawled in quickly. We all ran back to the car, but my bravery became legendary."

When Jones glanced back, he saw it was the tomb of Flora Shields (also listed on census records as Emma F. Shields). The name became etched in his mind forever.

Eleven years after reading Flora Shields' name, Jones donned the Tall Betsy outfit for her first Halloween outing at Johnston Park from 3 to 5 p.m. Afterward, she laid in the back of a pick-up truck driven by Jones' childhood friend, Lou Patton. Tall Betsy then made an encore appearance at Jones' Centenary home. There, Jones' mother and then-girlfriend Janie Pangle were throwing a Halloween party for Jones' daughter, Courtney, of whom Jones was a single parent.

The children were enraptured with Tall Betsy, as were a handful of trick-or-treaters who came to Jones' house that night. Exhausted, Jones relaxed that evening, counting it a one-time success. He'd succeeded in dressing up as his beloved childhood spook and made sure everyone in Cleveland knew of her legend.

Jones figured his Tall Betsy costume would hang in his closet untouched for years to come, but other people had different plans.

"Lou Patton's sister, Janie, called me before Halloween of 1981 and asked if I would dress up as Tally Betsy again," Jones said. "If it weren't for that call, I may have never donned Betsy's outfit a second time."

According to Jones, 1981, his second outing as Tall Betsy, is when the legend really took hold of Cleveland's imagination. From popular demand, Jones went on to make appearances as Tall Betsy year after year in front of his then-house at 150 Centenary Avenue NW, the gruesome girlie gaining more notoriety each time. Eventually, Tall Betsy became so popular that people flocked to Cleveland on Halloween just to sneak a peak. In 1998, the Jones family official count was that 11,201 trick-or-treaters came to their Centenary door, each receiving a single piece of bubblegum.

As Tall Betsy's popularity soared, Jones reflected on the legend he created. He spent a lot of time through the years wondering about Flora Shields, the lady who was buried where Jones claimed Tall Betsy lived.

"After the legend of Tall Betsy grew to the point where people were traveling from across the South to see her on Halloween, I started trying to figure out who Flora Shields was and why no one knew anything about her," Jones said.

Eventually, Jones hired Michael Slaughter — one of the nation's most respected genealogical researchers — to uncover who built the mausoleum and when. Jones also tasked Slaughter with finding out who's interred there, and when and where they lived. He wanted to know who Flora Shields was, and why none of her family members complained that her grave had been transformed into Tall Betsy's home.

Slaughter's research revealed that Ms. Shields was born in August 1866 and died in 1951. She never married, never worked and never crunched any child's bones. And though interred here, she spent only a handful of years in Cleveland.

Nearly 70 years after her death, Ms. Shields has no surviving family members. Hence why no one complains about Tall Betsy taking up residence in her tomb.

"Flora was 85 years old when she died in Miami," said Slaughter. "She was essentially an old maid who never worked nor married, whose source of income was her wealthy grandfather, William Shields, who reported a significant net worth of $20,000 in 1860."

For comparison, the richest person listed in Cleveland's 1850 census was Thomas Callaway, whose net worth was $27,000. So Flora's grandfather, the first of the Shields family to move to Bradley County, was one of the wealthiest people in Polk County at the time.

Slaughter noted that although Flora's name will be forever linked to the famous Tall Betsy of Centenary Avenue, she only lived in Cleveland between 1866 and 1870. It was during this time that Ms. Shields' father, John Caswell Shields, owned a grocery store across the courthouse on Ocoee Street. Mr. Shields went on to practice medicine for decades prior to his early 20th-century return to Bradley County, Tennessee.

Born in Murray County, Georgia, Ms. Shields was in Smith County, Texas, with her family for the 1870 census. A decade later, she, her four siblings and her mother, Emily Howell Shields, were in Murray County, Georgia, while her father, John Caswell Shields, was in Eugene, Oregon. The family later reunited in Umatilla County, Oregon, returned to Bradley County in the early 1900's, and moved to Miami, Florida, following John Caswell's death. Flora lived in Miami with her mother, niece Esther and Esther's husband, Mr. Dupont (the first name is unreadable in the census). Following her mother's death in 1924 in Dade County, Florida, Flora began living with her niece Lena B. Donovan, and by 1940 lived by herself in Homestead, Florida.

In conclusion, Slaughter reported that Ms. Shields passed away on September 27, 1951, in Dade County, Florida. He further stated that the Shields mausoleum was likely built between 1900 and 1908, with Flora and her parents, John Caswell Shields — who died in Bradley County on November 12, 1908 — and Emily Howell — who died in 1924, its only occupants.

For more information, videos, and pictures about Tall Betsy visit TallBetsy.com.

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WNBA Star: You Can’t Please Everyone, ‘People Hate Beyoncé’

by Christina Santi, August 17, 2018

Dallas Wings center Elizabeth Cambage is 6’8 and leads the WNBA in scoring. Despite better than average stats, the London born baller believes she cannot get everyone to be sure of her greatness, according to Bleacher Report.

The 26-year-old is the tallest woman in the league. She plays hard, is second in rebounding (9.7 per game) and has an over the top personality. Cambage played for the Tulsa Shock in 2011, the year she was drafted 2nd overall. Then she spent time playing overseas in Australia before allegedly being cut from the national team.

Drake recently shouted her out on “Sicko Mode,” a song on Travis Scott’s recent album, Astroworld. However, things weren’t always so bright for the ball player. Cambage was teased for her height growing up and feels her game is lowered because of her height and passion. “A lot of people have tried to dull my light,” she said.

The MVP candidate understands that she needs to love herself because not everyone will. “People hate Beyonce. People probably had s**t to say about Mother Teresa, you know? You can’t please everyone,” Cambage asserted. “You’re not an avocado. Not everyone’s going to love you.”

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By Munson Steed | April 15, 2016 2:31 PM EST 

WNBA star Swin Cash, 36, was selected as one Sports Illustrated’s inaugural “Fashionable 50” and graces the cover of the coveted issue. She ranks among Russell Westbrook, Victor Cruz, Serena Williams and Misty Copeland, who are also considered the most stylist athletes in sports.

“I’ve always dabbled back and forth between the fashion and sports worlds because when I was 14-years-old I had the opportunity to walk in New York Fashion Week,” she tells SI, “…then I went on to play basketball in college and now in the WNBA. Because I am 6-feet tall, I’ve always had to be creative and versatile with my clothes. I love to come to games dressed from head to toe, but I also work in TV as a commentator. So I can do that classic look or I can pull off an elegant dress for a black tie event. Or I can be tomboy chic at a football or basketball game. I love that I can be this chameleon and my fashion can really transcend through the different avenues and areas I work in.”

...

Name a few of your favorite designers from head-to-toe?

Shoes – I’m a big Stuart Weitzman fan. I wear a size 11 or 11.5 in heels and SW always come through for me with fashionable ones. Also Vince, Jimmy Choo and Sam Edelman.  Clothing – Ted Baker, Helmut Lang, Robert Rodriguez J brand jeans Top Shop (tall) My dream would be to partner with a designer or store like Top Shop to do a signature tall line for women and girls. I am asked all the time where do I find clothes because of my height and body type. Tall women love to dress fly too and everyone, I would love to do a collaboration like that one day soon.

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Bazaar celebrates women who live by their own rules and are brave enough to take flight. See all of the Daring Women featured in our November 2015 issue here.

By Laura Brown

A few years ago, Gwendoline Christie was treading the boards for the Royal Shakespeare Company and playing Mag Wildwood in a West End production of Breakfast at Tiffany's. Now she finds herself at the epicenter of three massive pop-culture movements: Game of Thrones, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 2. While an actor saying he/she is grateful has become a cliché, Christie really means it. "It means there's a shift in our culture and our way of thinking about how women are perceived," she says. "People want to see a more diverse representation of women than the homogenized ones we've had so far."

Christie, 36, is far from homogeneous. Standing six foot three, she contended for years with the perception that "if you were taller than average, you couldn't act on-screen. But you've got to hang in there because things change." She had a role in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in 2009, then a friend told her "there was something online about me being in an HBO show." Christie researched Game of Thrones's Brienne of Tarth, the loyal-to-a-fault soldier who stars in the series' most riveting battle scenes, and thought, If this remains in audiences' minds, this could work to change the way we view women on television.

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She Is Not The Tallest Girl, However, She Has The Longest Legs

By Momina Wijdan Last updated Oct 24, 2019

We just came across a video (by Barcroft TV) of the girl with World's Longest Legs, Maci Currin. And that has really surprised us. She is not the tallest girl in the world. However, she has the longest legs. Comparing her to Netflix's Tall Girl Ava Michelle would be unfair. So, let us just compare her with the record-holder longest-legged girl.

Maci Currin | Girl With The Longest legs

Maci Currin is a 16-year old towering teenager from Texas. And she is a proud owner of the world's longest legs. Like seriously, her legs are too long. She officially has 53 inches long legs, that is 134.62 centimeters or 4.42 feet. (Considering I'm 62 inches tall, I really cannot imagine standing next to her legs.) Currin is actually from Austin, Texas and she is officially breaking the record of Ekaterina Lisina, of Russia who has 52.5 inches legs.

Currin is an aspiring model with a total height of 6 feet 9 inches. When she was born, she was slightly smaller than the average newborn. However, she went through some serious growth spurts and by the time she was 9, she was 5 feet 7 inches tall.

Currin Explains Pros & Cons Of Her Height

Maci Currin is a proud owner of the world's longest legs. Though her legs come with some pros and cons, she does not mind having the longest legs. With an outseam of 53 inches and an inseam of 43 inches, she can find her friends very easily in a crowd. Her mother said when Currin was just 18 months old, she stood a foot taller than other kids with the same age.

Maci Currin says finding friends in the crowds is very easy for her. However, there are some disadvantages to being that tall. These cons include hitting her head, getting into cars and finding the clothes. Currin's father Cameron is 6 feet 5 inches tall.

Her mother Trish said that there were some years in Maci Currin's life when she was growing 5 inches in a year. When she goes to public spaces, a lot of people stare at her. And they take pictures of her without asking for her permission. And it really annoys her. She does not like shopping at all, unlike other girls. We wish her all the best for her future and we'll hopefully see her official verification soon in Guinness World Record.

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Yvetta Hlaváčová (born 26 May 1975) is a Czech national team member in long-distance swimming and women's world record holder from swimming the English Channel in a time of 7 h, 25 mins.

While she has pursued indoor swimming, she has earned much more success on the open water. The swimmer has been at the top of long-distance swimming for several years.

At 6ft4.5" (194 cm) she is one of the tallest swimmers in the world. Her feet are a whopping size 13 (US) / 46 (EU).

Source: Wikipedia

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