Tejal Somvanshi
When Rumeysa Gelgi and Jyoti Amge met for afternoon tea at The Savoy Hotel in London, their 152.36 cm height difference created an extraordinary meeting. The meeting, which celebrated Guinness World Records Day 2024, brought together two remarkable women who hold the records for the world’s tallest living woman (215.16 cm) and shortest living woman (62.8 cm).
Gelgi, 27, a researcher and web developer from Turkey, met Amge for their first-ever meeting. “It was so amazing meeting Jyoti for the first time,” she said. “It was difficult for us to make eye contact at times due to our height difference, but it was great.”
Amge, 30, an accomplished actress known for her role as Ma Petite in “American Horror Story,” shared her experience meeting Gelgi. “I’m used to looking up and seeing people taller than me but I was so happy to look up today and see the world’s tallest woman,” she shared. “I’m delighted that I’ve met Rumeysa, she is so good-natured, and I felt very comfortable talking to her.”
The pair discovered they share a love for makeup, self-care, and nail art. Their connection went deeper than physical differences as they discussed their experiences living with rare conditions. Gelgi has Weaver syndrome, making her the 27th person worldwide and first in Turkey diagnosed with this condition that causes accelerated growth and skeletal deformities. Amge has achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism affecting bone growth.
“We are aiming to inspire people with visible differences to find the courage to show themselves,” Gelgi explained. “I want to make people see that being different is okay.”
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Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, observed the meeting. “Guinness World Records is all about celebrating differences,” he noted. “By bringing together these two amazing, iconic women, they can share their perspectives on life with each other and also with us.”
Both women have achieved recognition beyond their physical records. Gelgi holds additional world records for largest hands on a woman (24.93 cm), longest back on a living person (female) at 59.90 cm, and longest ears on a person (female) averaging 9.58 cm. She recently starred in a GWR documentary titled “Rumeysa: Walking Tall,” chronicling her journey across the United States meeting fellow record holders.
Amge has built a successful career in entertainment, appearing in various films and shows. Her role in “American Horror Story” earned her the additional distinction of being the shortest professional actress in the world.
The meeting coincided with the 70th anniversary edition of the Guinness World Records book, where both women are honored as GWR Icons – a new category introduced for the 2025 edition. For context, the tallest living person is Sultan Kösen, a part-time farmer from Turkey measuring 246.5 cm, while Afshin Esmaeil Ghaderzadeh from Iran, at 65.24 cm, holds the record for shortest living man.
As they shared tea at The Savoy and examined the latest Guinness World Records book together, their meeting exemplified how shared interests can bring people together regardless of physical differences.
