Rumeysa Gelgi, who lives in Karabük province, Türkiye, holds the Guinness World Record for being 2.15 m tall. Because she was too tall to fit in a regular passenger seat, she was unable to fly. After that, the national airline Turkish Airlines had to remove 6 seats on the plane and replace them with a specialized stretcher, so she had the opportunity to explore the world.
The female traveler is on a journey to set foot in every country in the world. This plan was started after she celebrated her 28th birthday earlier this year. Rumeysa suffers from a rare condition called Weaver syndrome, which causes excessive growth, so not only planes but also other means of public transport are a big challenge for her.
In her daily life, Rumeysa mainly uses a wheelchair or a walker to get around.
Rumeysa’s first flight was in September 2022. She described the experience as “perfect from start to finish”. Since then, the programmer has become a frequent customer of Turkish Airlines because it is one of the airlines with a special stretcher service.
However, her journey has not been easy. Unable to sit, the female traveler was carried onto the plane on a stretcher and laid down throughout the flight. Before each trip, she has to arrive at the airport 4 hours early to work with the medical team and pay for the stretcher space, equivalent to 6 seats.
Rumeysa has flown to Spain, Italy, the US and the UK but has yet to try taking a train or bus – something she hopes to do in the next few months.
In addition to transportation issues, she also faces major obstacles when visiting historical sites or famous places due to the lack of support for people with mobility difficulties and special heights.
Due to her extreme height, Rumeysa has to live with a spinal brace. Even a slight fall can seriously endanger her life. Therefore, if she does not have safe access to her destination, she “would rather miss it than take the risk”.
Rumeysa plans to explore Southeast Asia and cities in Northeast Asia such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Shanghai, Seoul. Her biggest wish is to visit ancient sites in her hometown of Safranbolu. She wants to go to the old town, which is home to many Ottoman houses, mansions and bathhouses. Although this place is close to home, she has not had the opportunity to visit it because it is difficult to access due to difficult transportation.
Rumeysa hopes that more creative solutions will emerge to make historical sites accessible to people with limited mobility like her. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to connect with the past, regardless of their mobility,” she said.