At 6’5” Holly Burt Loves to Stand Out
Holly Burt’s was once bullied for her height and is now being recognized for her extremely long legs. (Photo: Instagram)
Holly Burt decided to measure her legs after hearing about model Lauren Williams, whose legs are allegedly the longest in the U.S. at 49 inches from heel to hip point. The 20-year-old New York design student found that her legs are longer than the current record holder’s by just .5 inches, and while the recognition she’s received since making this discovery has proved exciting, reaching a point of self-acceptance and confidence has been a lifelong journey.
In her youth, Burt was bullied for her height. “Especially back in middle school, I would get called names a lot,” Burt tells Yahoo Beauty. “If a kid was old enough to know to keep their mouth shut but wouldn’t stop talking about [my height], my mom would always stick up for me.” She has since learned to take negative comments lightheartedly but admits, “back in the day that affected me a lot.”
Holly Burt at three years old is much taller than the required height to ride at an amusement park. (Photo: Instagram)
Her mother is also her role model, helping her move past the bullying. “Holly, I promise you, it will get better,” Burt recalls her mother saying. “My mom was like me, she was tall and lanky, and she got to college and it got better. She promised me it would and it did, and I love being tall now. It’s great,” says Burt. “I still do get the comments a lot but I get them so much that I’ve learned to shake them off.” Her move to New York City from her native Florida two years ago has helped her develop a better sense of body confidence, “being different has never felt so good. You kind of want to stand out. There’s so many people, it’s better to stand out.”
Burt is now more confident than ever. Her strategy for self-assurance is simple, “people are obviously going to look, and you can’t change people, so you might as well just forget,” she advises. “Do you, make your own style, don’t care what people think, and invest time in the people who make you enjoy life.”
Holly Burt’s legs measure 49.5 inches from heel to hip point. (Photo: Instagram)
As for the title of “longest legs in the country,” Burt feels no sense of competition and says that several other women have emerged claiming that their legs are as long as or longer than hers. “I never see girls my height… and I’d love to meet these girls,” she says. “I feel like we’d all get along really well. Especially walking around in big crowded spaces, that would be pretty liberating.” Burt is interested in pursuing modeling as a way to represent very tall women. “Obviously I want to see [very tall women] projected in the media,” she says. “I will be mad at myself if I don’t pursue modeling. I’ve been reached out to by a couple of agencies.” She’s waiting for the perfect fit, though, and thinks that a diverse and specialized agency will be the most appropriate for her. “[I’d like to be with an agency] with people kind of like me that have one specific part that makes them, them.” Now that Holly Burt has embraced her legs as her defining feature, very tall women may have gained a new spokeswoman.
Holly Burt is receiving positive recognition for her long legs, and has already done a shoot for ‘Bullett Magazine.’ (Photo: Instagram)
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