[奇人奇事] Children marvel at world's tallest man as he visits their school

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What an impressive frame! Children marvel at world's tallest man as he visits their school
Sultan Kosen is 8ft 3ins tall and wears shoes that are size 28
His hands measure 10.8ins across  and his feet are 13.7ins long

By Emily Allen

The world’s tallest man towered over pupils today as he made his first ever visit to a British school.

Children had to clamber up a climbing frame to make eye contact with Sultan Kosen, who is a staggering 8ft 3ins tall and has size 28 feet.

The 29-year-old Turkish farmer impressed teachers and pupils by ‘placing’ a ball in a basketball hoop while barely having to stretch.


Tall order: Sultan Kosen, who is 8ft 3 ins tall and has size 28 feet, stands proud with pupils at St. Michael's RC School in Twickenham

He then signed autographs and held a question and answer session at Saint Michael’s R.C. School in Twickenham, south west London.

Pupils crooked their necks as they stared up at the giant man, who walks with a stick and is almost three times their size.

Sultan said: 'Some people don’t know what to do when they meet me but everyone at St Michael’s has been so friendly and warm.

'I wanted to share with kids it’s OK to be different.'


Mr Kosen signed autographs and held a question and answer session with the youngsters and said he felt very welcome at the school

Year six teacher Ruth Foley said: 'The children were all in absolute awe of Sultan, he is lovely, like a gentle giant.
'This memorable experience will stay with us all for the rest of our lives.'

Sultan’s hands measure a massive 10.8 inches across and his feet are 13.7 inches long, which are also world records.
He is one of only ten people ever to top 8 feet and the first in a decade.


Mr Kosen impressed teachers and pupils by 'placing' a ball in a basketball hoop while barely having to stretch

He became the world’s tallest man in August 2009, when he shot past China’s Bao Xishun at 7ft 9ins.

Sultan suffers from a rare disorder called pituitary gigantism, which causes his body to continually produce the growth hormone.

His condition is believed to have been caused by a tumour in the pituitary gland.

Doctors thought they had cured him in 2008 when they removed the tumour but he continued to grow by half and inch a year.

Now medics say he has finally stopped growing.


Hanging out: The 29-year-old suffers from a rare disorder called pituitary gigantism, which causes his body to continually produce the growth hormone

Sultan grew normally until he was ten but the tumour then caused him to develop the medical condition.

When other children were little more than 4 feet, he was already well over 6 feet. His family are all ‘normal’ size.

Sultan last visited the UK two years ago, when he said: 'The kids used to tease me and I found that very difficult.

'But now I am really proud of being tall.'

He visited the 400 pupils at St. Michael’s R.C. School today after they won a competition run by the Guinness World Records Educational Programme.