Girl Bullied As ‘Giraffe’ in School, Grows Up to Be Model With Longest Legs in America

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From the archives: this story was last updated in August 2019.

Chase Kennedy is not someone you would easily miss in a crowd. In fact, you can’t not notice her. Kennedy is among America’s taller women at 6 feet 5 inches. Wearing size-11 shoes, her long legs are the longest in the country at 51 inches, surpassing Holly Burt’s record at 49.5 inches.

Coming from a tall family, Kennedy, a graduate of San Luis Obispo High School, California, had a tough time growing up. She was always the tallest girl, and even towered over most boys.

Other children used to tease her by calling her names like “giraffe,” “twiggy,” and “legs.” She always dreamed about having shorter legs so that she could blend in.

“When I was in high school, I always wore flats and I would see girls in high heels at dances and I'd always want to be able to do that,” she said in an interview with MailOnline in 2015. “I was always just so awkward that I didn’t want to stand out or anything.”

But there was one subject that she excelled in—sports. In fact, in games like volleyball and basketball, Kennedy soon realized that her height was a blessing.

No matter which team she belonged to, she always ended up being one of the tallest girls of the match. And that was something she used fully to her advantage.

When she became an adult, dating became a problem for Kennedy—she just couldn’t find a man tall enough for her. Add to her woes, shorter guys were put off by her height.

“In high school, dating was very difficult because boys were intimidated by my height and I towered over a lot of them,” she said.

She also faced problems in the modeling industry initially. While most agencies turn down women because of their short stature, in Kennedy’s case, it was the exact opposite.

“They (agencies) told me time over time, ‘We don’t know what to do with you,’” she said, according to stuff.co.nz.

Kennedy tried her luck in New York and Europe. And soon, she got the attention of agencies, who fell head over heels with her 51-inch-long svelte legs. With her golden-brown, natural-looking tan, long chestnut-brown hair, and charming smile, she’s now a successful model.

The striking Kennedy has appeared in New York Fashion Week as well as ads for Toyota and Alloy Apparel. She has also garnered international news coverage from outlets such as CBS, New York Post, New Zealand’s Stuff, and Britain’s Daily Mail.

“I’ve gotten quite a bit of attention internationally,” the budding fashion model said. “It’s definitely been a big change.”

Unlike what she once thought during her school days, Kennedy has learned to love her height, which “makes me stand out, makes me different.”

“I would not change my height. I would be the height I am,” the beauty with attractive long legs told Barcroft TV. “At the end of the day I’m really happy to be as tall as I am.”

With the longest legs in America and being just 1 inch away from Guinness World Record holder Russian model Ekaterina Lisina, Kennedy is a rare human specimen. And despite Kennedy having a tough childhood because of her legs, it’s great to know that it was eventually her legs that landed her fame.

Check her out here: