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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By Kat Armstrong on June 16, 2016

It’s hard enough to find clothes that are on trend and look great while not breaking the bank, which is why stores like H&M are so great - they’re always on it when it comes to what’s in, and you can always find something affordable for a little closet update. What stores like H&M don’t always offer, however, is great sizing, and one UK woman took to Facebook to let them know that she was fed up with their not-great-for-bigger-bodies clothing.

In a post entitled “Dear H&M,” British shopper Ruth Clemens lambasted the Swedish retailer for their smaller-than-normal sizing. Being a tall woman, she says, (5’11”) and of average size (a UK size 14 or US 10), she was expecting a size 16 pair of jeans to fit her, but when she got to the change room, she couldn’t even button the waistband. “As I’m sure you’re aware,” said Ruth, “size 16 is the largest size you stock (apart from in your plus size range, which is very limited in store and does not offer the range of styles for the fashion-conscious that are available in smaller sizes).” She then went on to point out that her top was from the same store but a size M. So, she wondered, what was H&M doing with its odd sizing?

With hundreds of comments on the post agreeing with Clemens, over 10,680 shares and over 80,000 likes and reactions, H&M had no choice but to respond by saying that sometimes their sizing varies, but is always up to international standards. They also apologized and offered to take the feedback to heart, investigating why their sizing is so much smaller than other stores. Whether or not the retailer will be changing their sizing guidelines any time soon remains to be seen, but it’s good to know that they’re actually listening to customer feedback.

Do you find H&M sizing too small? Tell us @BritandCo!

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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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Tinder joked that it would verify daters’ height. Should height even matter in finding a partner?

I was thousands of miles from home, in a country where I knew only a handful of local phrases, but the concern in his Tinder message was universal.

"Disclaimer," my match wrote. "I'm 1,80 m should you be considering shoe choice."

"I have no idea what that is in feet!" I responded. "But I'm wearing flats anyway."

It turns out that 1.8 meters translates to 5 feet and 11 inches. Why was a man who's nearly 6 feet tall worried that his date might tower over him? At 5-foot-4, I'm around average height for an American woman; the average American man is 5-foot-9. (He said I "photograph tall.") In Portugal, where I was Tinder-swiping on vacation, the average man is slightly shorter (5-foot-7 to the average woman's 5-foot-3). Even if I were taller and choosing to wear heels, would that ruin our evening? Would he feel emasculated, and would I feel it was my responsibility to avoid such a plight?

I should hope not. I had plenty of concerns about meeting a stranger from the Internet - mostly tied to my personal safety. Being taller than my date (naturally or due to footwear) wasn't one of them. Besides, Lisbon's uneven cobblestone streets were hard enough to navigate in flats! I could not fathom heels.

My match's "disclaimer" made me laugh. Height is a thingin online dating - a thing many people care about and some lie about. Some women put their height requirements for a guy in their profile. And sometimes, bizarrely, a person's height is the only thing in their bio, as if that's all you need to know about them. As other outdated gender norms in heterosexual relationships are toppling, why do so many daters still want the man to be taller than the woman?

I've dated men who are shorter than me, those who are my height and those who are taller - and a man's stature has never been the reason a match didn't work. I do care, however, when someone lies because they think it might make a better first impression. It always has the opposite effect.

When Tinder announced on Friday that the popular dating app was developing a "height verification tool," my first reaction was: Hallelujah! Finally people would stop lying about their height.

"Say goodbye to height fishing," the news release said, coining a term for the height deception that's common on dating apps.

By Monday, it became clear Tinder's announcement was just an April Fools' joke. Still, there's a grain of truth in it. Do daters really deserve a medal for telling the truth? Is the bar really this low? In short: Yes.

Yes, in most heterosexual couples, the man is taller than the woman - but that's partly because, on average, men are taller than women. And there are certainly exceptions. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, for starters. Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas. Pharrell and Helen Lasichanh. You probably know a couple in your own life to add to this list.

Height is associated with masculinity, attractiveness, higher status - and with one's ability to provide for and protect their family. Daters might not be consciously thinking about this as they're swiping left and right. An informal 2014 survey of students at the University of North Texas asked single, heterosexual students to explain why they preferred dating someone above or below a certain height. It found that they "were not always able to articulate a clear reason they possess their given height preference, but they somehow understood what was expected of them from the larger society."

But height can affect whom they choose to date. A 2005 study, which looked at a major online dating site's 23,000 users in Boston and San Diego during a 3½-month period, found that men who were 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-4 received 60 percent more first-contact emails than those who were 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-8. Meanwhile, tall women received fewer initial emails than women who were shorter or of average height. (Of course, it's unclear whether this pattern is unique to the users of this website or these two cities.)

When I think about daters' preference for the man to be taller, I'm reminded of all the other ways in which relationships are changing that we still haven't quite adjusted to. We expect a man not just to be taller than his partner, but to make more money than her, too - even though, in 40 percent of households with children, women are the sole or primary breadwinners. We have dating apps that require women to make the first move (Bumble, one of Tinder's top competitors), but we still expect the man to Pop the Big Question and drive a heterosexual relationship forward. Intermarriage is rising steadily - in 2015, 17 percent of U.S. newlyweds had a spouse of a difference race or ethnicity - but racial discrimination is still disturbingly common on dating apps.

Dating apps encourage singles to make quick judgments based on scant information in a profile - information that can be wrong or out-of-date. The real verification happens in person, where people can be physically small with large personalities or tall and exceedingly dull.

As my Tinder date and I walked through the Lisbon streets, we talked about the pros and cons of being single while most of your friends are in relationships and the many ways we've seen good things end. By the time we said goodbye, I was surprised by how much fun we'd had. He wanted to see me again, but I wasn't sure. There was another distance I was thinking about - one not measured in feet but thousands of miles.

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Created on Tuesday, 08 September 2015 07:00 | Written by Jason Vondersmith

Erica Hand towers over competition as international champ

Playing basketball and volleyball while growing up in Woodburn, and not having anything to do with pageants, Erica Hand never envisioned that she would attach the title “Queen” to her name one day.And she is “Queen,” as the reigning Miss Tall International.

“I’m Queen Erica, Miss Tall International,” she says.

Oh yeah, royalty? “I’ve known this my whole life,” she says, jokingly, “people are starting to realize it.”

Hand, 36, works as an instructional administrative assistant for the math and sciences career technical program at Portland Community College-Southeast Campus. She entered adulthood very aware that her height — 6-foot-1 — set her apart from other women and, on the urging of her mother, Hand joined the local chapter of the decades-old Miss Tall International organization. She was reluctant at first to become involved, but after a relationship ended, she joined last October “because it was a social club.”

One thing led to another: Hand heard about the Miss Tall Portland contest, which involved a nomination at a house party, and she became the title holder in 2014 because of her involvement in activities. At the Tall Clubs International convention in Sparks, Nev., in July, judges evaluated contestants from the United States, Canada and Europe, and Hand talked about being from Portland and all the bridges in the city and how bridges bring people together. In addition, the contestants performed a skit, competed in an evening gown competition, and answered questions from the emcee.

The questions?

“How would you define success?” Hand says: “Having family, friends, a job that I love, and being able to travel and have a good life.”

And, “You were just hired to play a character at Disneyland, which character would you pick?” She says: “I would be Cinderella, because she lives in a big castle, and she’s somebody that little boys and girls can look up to. When I think of Disney, I think of Cinderella, the ultimate fairy tale.”

Hand won over the judges, and became Miss Tall International.

In the coming months, Hand will be treated like a queen. She’ll be the guest at a Las Vegas club gathering in September, and then in Chicago in January and possibly Boston and Arizona.

“The club flies the queen out to do publicity and promotions, maybe TV and radio,” she says. “I have my own handler. One of the rules is the queen doesn’t touch money. That’s super cool.

“In Reno, we’d have dinner and I’d come out in my crown and sash and everyone would stand up and start clapping. My sister would roll her eyes. I was loving it.”

There have been other women from Portland who have reached the highest honor of the Miss Tall world — Holli Jennings in 2009 and Jane Baldwin in 2007, recently.

The funny thing is, Hand was one of the shorter women in the contest. “I look at the pictures, and there are women towering over me. I felt so petite,” she says.

Growing up tall was just a fact of life for Hand, the daughter of Philip and Kathy Hand of Woodburn, who always had to find bigger pants and shoes for their daughters. Her parents were tall, her sister, Kristen, was tall.

“Nobody was small in our house,” Kathy Hand says. “She fit in. When you’re of Scandinavian heritage, they don’t make you small.”

Erica adds: “Growing up in high school I was always the tallest person, and all the class photos you could always see me towering over everybody else. I’ve always enjoyed it.” The only little issue was trying to find a taller fellow to date.

Hand, a 1997 Woodburn High graduate and 2003 University of Oregon grad, has heard all the comments: Do you play basketball? How’s the weather up there? What size shoe do you wear?

People would tell her, “Gosh you’re so tall.” Her response: “Oh really? Thanks.”

She has always been proud of her height. It’s a small club to be in the same class as other tall women and Hand really felt at home as part of the Tall Clubs International, because “it’s a way to get together and support each other” through activities such as wine tastings, bike rides, museum tours, house parties, concerts and movies. Women are 5 feet 10 and taller, men 6-2 and taller.

Hand was just elected social chair for the Portland club.

Her message to other tall women?

“Stand up tall and embrace it,” she says. “I think it’s getting more and more normal, as people are getting taller and there is more awareness. It’s more acceptable.”

Sheryl Lutz has been named the new Miss Tall Portland. She lives in Portland. And Mr. Tall Portland, Robert Hicks, attended Benson High School and lives in Portland.

For now, Hand stands on top of the Miss Tall world.

“I tell people I won and they say, ‘What? That’s so funny. Erica Hand, what?’ Because that’s so not me. That’s what makes it fun.”

Her mother says: “We’re very proud of her. I hope it gives her opportunities to meet new people and see new things.”

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On August 18 TLC aired the final episode of “My Giant Life,” a reality show that followed four exceptionally tall women over a period of a several months. Episode 5 was a conversation between the 6’6” or taller women who agreed to be vulnerable enough to share their feelings, very personal moments, and the trials and tribulations of a life heads about most. Besides updating the audience about their lives, Lindsey, Haleigh, Coco, and Nancy discussed how the taping of the show impacted them and answered questions from the moderator.

As interesting as the show was, so were the many comments on its Facebook page and how they have changed over the past five weeks. The show has brought out haters, rubbed salt into open wounds among tall women and bridged a gap among people of all heights. It also created a heated conversation among the tall community on the Tall Clubs International Facebook page.

The first controversy focused on using the word “Giant” in the title of the program. Tall people hate being considered giants or giraffes. Even the ladies on the show weren’t keen on the title. As Coco said to her friend while taking a yoga class, “I’m not big, I’m tall.”

The next problem was the angle of the camera when the women spoke directly to the camera. As they talked about their specific lives, it appeared that they were sitting on small chairs and the camera was on the floor, angled upward. Viewers were quick to voice complaints about how the shots made the ladies look like giants among the Lilliputians.

As the weeks passed the storylines uncovered the raw emotion that ran just below the surface for each of the women. Buying long enough pants, “trying on” furniture to find sofas high enough and deep enough to be comfortable, and knee-bruising airplane seating were just a few of the trials that viewers experienced along with the ladies. Both Nancy and Haleigh let us tag along as they tried to find a prom dress and a wedding dress that covered their ankles and high heeled shoes without expensive alterations. Coco went on a blind date only to have the man turn and run after seeing how tall she was.

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To this woman of service, Raleigh was just a big small town

By John Drescher
May 25, 2018 09:45 AM

Jo Anna McMillan never held elected office. She wasn't a CEO or business executive. She wasn't on TV or going viral on the internet. She wasn't a religious leader, at least not an ordained one. She didn't play any of the roles we often associate with influence.

But McMillan, who died recently at 57, had a deep impact on this community of Raleigh through one generous encounter after another.

Jo Anna was always organizing an effort to help someone. To feed a family who'd just lost a loved one. To build a Habitat House. To help the teachers at her children's public schools. To organize a day of community service for her church. To encourage the young people in a children's home in Haiti run by a Raleigh-based group. To support the elderly church women who longed to remain a part of their faith community. To acquire 1,200 books for her teacher-daughter's elementary schools. She never stopped reaching out to help.

Jo Anna and her husband, Doug, have five children, and Jo Anna was passionately devoted to her family. But somehow she made time for other people and their families. She was a compassionate leader with restless, persuasive energy who crossed racial and economic lines. She had a lot she wanted to get done - and, as her many friends could attest (my wife and I were among them), you couldn't say no to her.

Reggie Edwards calls herself the chief encouraging officer at The Encouraging Place, a faith-based group that focuses on racial reconciliation. Jo Anna helped arrange child care so that women could attend the group's summer programs.

"She's a people person and she's a do-er. She was known for getting it done," Edwards told me, adding that Jo Anna "had the biggest heart in Raleigh."

Her brother Laurence Lilley in his eulogy said Jo Anna was a gangly, bespectacled, insecure teenage girl who eventually grew into a confident, 6-foot-tall woman who played varsity basketball at UNC. But she never forgot what it felt like to be on the outside.

She learned servant-leadership values from her parents in the small town of Williamston in eastern North Carolina. She believed in looking after people, like they did back home.

Lilley credits a summer job at Camp Seafarer, after Jo Anna's junior year at UNC, with lighting a spark in her about working with kids, which led to other types of service.

"In a small town, she saw that people help each other," he told me. "If something was going to get done, people were going to have to get together to get it done." To Jo Anna, Raleigh was just a big small town.

In North Carolina, we spend a lot of time these days thinking about how to save our small towns and rural areas. But maybe they will help save us. Not in the economic sense. But in another way.

Maybe the sense of community in places like Williamston and Clinton and Lillington and Warrenton will nourish us as more and more of small-town North Carolina consolidates in our larger cities.

Eric Johnson, who works at UNC-Chapel Hill and is a community columnist for The News & Observer, is a curious soul who travels around the state to see what's going on. As Johnson travels to our smaller communities, he sees people working to make a difference and succeeding.

"To overcome the perception of civic life as one extended shouting match," Johnson wrote recently in The N&O, "we need to elevate the good work happening all over the state."

Our state has two lives. There is a public life that it is debated and recorded as important decisions are made that affect the lives and futures of millions of people.

But there is also the day-to-day life we each lead — how we decide to spend our days and how we treat each other. Jo Anna McMillan's life of service reminds us that these personal interactions collectively help define us as a community. That should give us hope. We can do this, as Jo Anna often said. In this age of division, stalemate and rancor, maybe we are better than we think.

Drescher, opinion/solutions editor, is at jdrescher@newsobserver.com; 919-829-4515; @john_drescher.

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/article211784439.html#storylink=cpy

Generally speaking, unless you are able to afford the luxuries of the first class cabin, air travel isn't exactly the most comfortable part of going on vacation. This is especially true for those of us who are taller than average.

With more and more airlines looking to maximize profits by minimizing the space allotted to each traveller, your searches for Hawaiian holiday deals and South Africa vacation packages might be over before they even begin.

Thankfully, hope is not lost for the tall traveller! Below are three tips to help make airline travel not only possible, but enjoyable.

1. Go for Extra Legroom

The amount of space that each passenger is given on a flight is referred to as "seat pitch." This is the distance between one row of seats and the row directly in front of it. While this doesn't specifically refer to the amount of legroom you'll get, knowing the seat pitch of the aircraft you're travelling on will give you a good idea about how much space you can expect have.

Skytrax has published a handy seat pitch guide so travellers can see how much room they will get on an international flight with any given airline. Also, most airlines offer the ability for travellers to book a seat with extra legroom. Unfortunately, those seats usually come with a heftier price tag.

If you're not in a position to spend the additional cash on extra legroom, don't be discouraged. The best thing you can do is arrive at the airport well before your departure time and speak to the airline agent at the gate desk. If you ask nicely and explain your situation, they will most likely change your seat assignment to accommodate your height.

2. Travel at Unpopular Times

While the thought of travelling in the early hours of the morning might not be overly appealing, taller travellers should absolutely look to book flights that are scheduled outside of peak travel hours.

When a flight is scheduled at an unpopular time, it is less likely to be full. This means that you might just be able to swing an entire row to yourself. Just make sure to double check your seat assignment ahead of time. If the airline you are flying with allows you to switch your seat to another one within your designated class for free, you should definitely take up the offer!

3. Don't Neglect Your Neck

Once you have your legroom squared away, you've really only won half the battle. Making sure your neck is comfortable, especially for long haul flights, is just as important as making sure you have enough space for your legs.

Fortunately, the solution here is a simple one: invest in a good quality neck pillow. While most airports will have several shops offering a variety of neck pillows to choose from, they will most likely be over-priced. You will be better off purchasing the right pillow ahead of time to ensure you'll be as comfortable as possible.

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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Disclaimer

These article were NOT written by me. The author setting in Joomla (Written by) cannot be changed easily so I have removed it from this section. The author of an article would have to be a registered user of this website in order for their name to appear here.

I try not to use the whole article (for copyright reasons). There is always a link to the original or full article at the bottom of each page. If you find a piece you have written here and would like me to remove it just get in touch.

Tower of Power: Tall Women, Shorter Men and High Heels of Dominance

Heels in Hollywood have gone from symbols of submission to power as women on the up-and-up barely give shorter guys any pause.

The hottest accessory for women on the red carpet this season, along with killer stilettos, is a table-turner of a trend: having a shorter man hanging on their arm.

The days of female arm candy appear ancient when you observe multitudes of couples in which the ladies are virtually towering over their powerful men in Louboutin and Jimmy Choo 5-inch-plus spike heels.

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Rumeysa Gelgi stands at 7 feet and 0.09 inches tall. The 17-year-old likely has Weaver Syndrome, according to Guinness World Records, but that doesn't stop her from enjoying her unique height: 'I like being different from everyone else.'

A Turkish teenager has dreamed of breaking a record and she has. She's one of the tallest people in the world. Rumeysa Gelgi, 17, a native of Safranbolu, a town roughly 120 miles north of Ankara, holds the title for the tallest female teenager, according to a Guinness World Records news release. Doctors believe Gelgi has Weaver Syndrome, which explains her tall stature.

The high school student towers over her siblings and even parents. She stands at 7 feet tall and 0.09 of an inch and just to be sure, a doctor measured Gelgi three times in one day.

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A Turkish woman from the Black Sea province of Karabük, who is 215.16 centimeters (7 feet, 0.7 inches) tall, has been named the tallest woman alive by Guinness World Records.

Rümeysa Gelgi, who was previously named the tallest (female) teenager alive at the age of 18 in 2014, claimed a second title when she was officially remeasured by Guinness this year.

The previous record-holder was China’s Yao Defen, who stood at 7 feet and 7 inches before she died in 2012 at the age of 40.

Born with Weaver syndrome, a rare condition that causes accelerated growth, Gelgi uses a wheelchair for most of her mobility. But she can use a walker for short periods of time.

“I am, of course, proud. Being the tallest woman made me feel special,” she told the Demirören News Agency on Oct. 14.

“Every disadvantage can be turned into an advantage for yourself, so accept yourself for who you are, be aware of your potential and do your best,” she said.

She also said that her height makes people intrigued when they pass her on the street, but most people are kind and supportive when they meet her for the first time.

One of Gelgi’s hobbies is swimming, and she enjoys meals with her family. Gelgi’s family said they are very proud of the world title she received and even more proud of the awareness she spreads.

It’s fascinating to see that the tallest male, Sultan Kösen, at 251 centimeters, is also from Turkey -- a rare occurrence in Guinness World Records history.

The last time the two holders shared the same nationality was in 2009, when China’s Bao Xi Shun (236.1 cm; 7 ft 8.95 in) and Yao Defen (233.3 cm; 7 ft 7 in) held the tallest male and female records, respectively.

Craig Glenday, the editor in chief of the Guinness World Records, also congratulated Gelgi.

“It’s an honor to welcome Rumeysa back into the record books. Her indomitable spirit and pride at standing out from the crowd is an inspiration,” he said.

“The category of tallest living woman is not one that changes hands very often, so I’m excited to share this news with the world,” he added.

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

I guess there are few things better than internet videos. Granted, a website can tell a story pretty well but isn't it much more fun to see and hear the person talk? I think so. That's why I am going to link to more videos than ever before. There is a lot of "tall stuff" on YouTube. I have found a lot of height related videos by searching for "Tall Women Fashion".

Does height help businesswomen? Experts offer their take

By Meg Fry

Linda Wellbrock has all the attributes needed to run the Leading Women Entrepreneurs Program.

She is well-spoken, well-educated and well-versed in the ins and outs of nearly every business situation.

She's also just a hair under 6 feet tall.

Without shoes.

There haven't been any landmark reports indicating how much height helps a woman's drive to the top of the business world in New Jersey, but an unofficial NJBIZ survey of female leaders around the state can come to only one conclusion: Height certainly helps.

Just ask them. We did.

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Volvo will share crash-safety data to help make other cars safer

by Jake Holmes | March 20, 2019 3:30 PM PDT

Volvo wants to help reduce injuries and deaths from car accidents, regardless of manufacturer, so it is embarking on a new initiative to share information with other carmakers. Volvo announced Wednesday at a press conference in Sweden that it will share its data on crash-test safety with other automakers for free. It was announced along with Volvo's plans for in-car cameras designed to counter intoxicated and distracted driving.

The data-sharing move comes in the 60th anniversary year of the automaker's decision to equip all cars with three-point seatbelts as standard. Back then, Volvo decided not to charge other companies to use the technology. Three-point belts thus quickly spread worldwide, which Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson told journalists "has probably saved over one million lives, not in Volvos only but in all brands."

Volvo has a huge trove of crash-test data that it can share, and it's thanks in part to those three-point belts. In 1966, the company began studiously examining crashes involving Volvo cars to see whether seatbelts made a difference (spoiler alert: they reduced injuries by 50 percent). Then in 1970, Volvo formed the Accident Research Team, which is on-call 24-7 to visit any crash site involving a Volvo within a one-hour drive of the company's headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. For Volvo crashes further afield in Sweden, the company draws on insurance records, medical data and surveys sent to the involved drivers to build up even more information.

"And that provides in-depth information, which is a world of information … of the injury mechanisms and the occupants' different needs for protection," Lotta Jakobsson, senior technical specialist at Volvo Cars Safety Center, told journalists.

Jakobsson emphasizes that Volvo won't be sharing raw data points, but rather interpretations and analyses other companies can use to make their cars safer. As well as the altruistic goal of helping improve car safety, the sharing initiative is intended to help Volvo learn from what other companies are doing: "I also want to learn something," Jakobsson said.

The announcement goes hand-in-hand with Volvo's launch of Project EVA, which stands for Equal Vehicles for All. Jakobsson says that carmakers don't test with a very diverse set of dummy sizes and designs, and as a result, women, as well as people outside of average heights and weight ranges, tend to fare much worse in car crashes. Project EVA's goal is to focus specifically on addressing that deficit by recognizing that computer models and dummies need to represent more body types.

"People are different, nobody looks exactly like that," Jakobsson said, pointing at a nearby crash-test dummy.

For one specific example of how the company has already addressed this, she cites Volvo's WHIPS anti-whiplash seat design introduced in 1998. Volvo data showed women, and especially tall women, were significantly more likely to incur whiplash neck injuries in crashes than men. (Why? "Still there's no good answer for this," Jakobsson said, though she says it's believed women's necks are more flexible.)

As a result of that data, Volvo's WHIPS seats specifically focused on cutting down those whiplash injuries -- and data showed a 30-percent reduction in whiplash claims as a result. And that's exactly the type of safety improvement Volvo hopes it and other carmakers will be able to make as a result of Project EVA.

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Waitress bullied at school for being 6ft 7in snapped up by London modelling agency

Stephen Moyes
9 Jun 2020, 23:39 | Updated: 9 Jun 2020, 23:39

A WOMAN bullied for being 6ft 7ins tall is riding high after being scouted as a model.

Naomi Lovell, 22, gets unwanted sexual attention due to her striking stature, but is now celebrating towering over her peers.

At 6ft 2in aged just 13, she has grown up being jeered - with strangers even tapping her legs to 'check if she is on stilts'.

Her beanpole stature meant her love life hit the buffers, and Naomi has never had a boyfriend.

But the red-head cafe-worker, of Doncaster, Yorks., is now head and shoulders the happiest woman around after landing modelling gigs.

Naomi told how she has finally had the last laugh: "I was bullied in school for my height. Even teachers would comment on it.

"I was always picked for netball - even though I was rubbish at it - just because I'm tall.

"I do remember feeling like I was being used for my height.

"It affected my self-esteem and in some ways robbed me of my childhood as everyone always assumed I was much older and would treat me like an adult or expect me to be really mature.

"I've even had perverted men messaging me on Instagram, it makes me sick to my stomach. They have fetishes about tall women and always ask if I'm married.

"But I feel like I've really gained confidence since joining the modelling agency, they specialise in taller or unique looking girls.

"They asked me onto their books almost as soon as they met me, it was a real compliment, I finally felt beautiful."

Naomi's family look up to her, with mum, Karen, 58, a retired midwife, 5ft 7in, dad, Nigel, 51, a railway engineer, 6ft 2in, and sisters Bethan, 25, a student, and Amanda, 28, a warehouse worker, both 5ft 9in.

Naomi has been snapped up by London modelling agency Uglys, with photoshoot sessions boosting her confidence.

She said: "I had always been told that I should be a model with my long legs and height, but because I always felt like the odd one out I never really believed it.

"My mum organised a makeover session for me. And the photo agency in charge took one look at me and offered me a place on their books right away.

"It was such a good feeling. Although I was so nervous doing a photoshoot it was one of the first times I remember feeling really beautiful."

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