The world’s tallest woman and the world’s shortest woman came together for afternoon tea in London recently to celebrate Guinness World Records Day.
According to a statement posted by Guinness World Records (GWR) on Wednesday, Jyoti Amge, standing at 2 feet, 0.7 inches in height, and Rumeysa Gelgi, who is 7 feet, 0.7 inches tall, met at London’s Savoy Hotel.
GWR released a video on Nov. 21 capturing the first meeting between the two women to mark the 20th annual Guinness World Records Day. The footage showed the 30-year-old Amge, who hails from India, smiling as she waved and approached Gelgi, who is 27 and from Turkey. The two women said they were looking forward to spending time together.
“It was so lovely to meet the tallest woman in the world for the first time,” Amge said. “She is so good-natured—I feel really comfortable with her.”
“I can’t explain how happy I am!” she said.
The pair chatted while sipping tea at a coffee table. “I’ve seen myself among all these artists and athletes that I’ve always admired—it’s an indescribable feeling,” Gelgi said.
“We both love self-care, makeup, doing our nails, and jewelry,” Amge said. “It was difficult for us to make eye contact at times due to our height difference, but it was great!” The two women have a height difference of a whopping 5 feet.
According to GWR, Gelgi was recognized as the tallest living female teenager at the age of 17, and was confirmed as the tallest living woman in 2021. Her remarkable height stems from an extremely rare condition known as Weaver syndrome. GWR notes that Gelgi is one of only around 50 individuals globally diagnosed with this syndrome.
Despite facing bullying at times due to her height, Gelgi has become a web designer. She travels internationally to educate others about her condition, and to spread positivity and awareness.
In contrast, Amge was named the world’s shortest teenager at the age of 15, and was later confirmed as the world’s shortest woman in 2011. Born in India, Amge has built a career as an actress and media personality. She has achondroplasia, a bone growth disorder that impairs fetal development and affects the transformation of cartilage into bone, particularly in the arms and legs.
Amge has a large number of followers on social media and has even made appearances in the U.S. TV series “American Horror Story: Freak Show.”
The two women were honored in the 70th-anniversary edition of the Guinness book of World Records, and were recognized as GWR icons.