Mum of two whose legs measure 51.5 INCHES from hip to heel claims she has the world’s longest pins
Caroline Arthur is 6ft 2in tall - meaning her legs account for around 69 per cent of her frame
A MUM of two whose legs measure 51.5 inches from hip to heel claims she has the world’s longest pins.
Caroline Arthur, a former model who lives in Melbourne, is 6ft 2in tall - meaning her legs account for around 69 per cent of her frame.
The 39-year-old dermotherapist is now challenging the current Guinness World Record holder – Russia’s Svetlana Pankratova - in a bid to claim the coveted title.
“I believe that they are definitely the longest in Australia and, as far as I know, in America, too,” she said.
“The lady in the Guinness Book of World Records has legs that are 51.9 inches long so it’s quite close.
“Because it’s so close I think it is worth contacting them and finding out exactly where they measure from and getting an official, accurate measurement done.”
Caroline has always struggled to find clothes that fit her long slim physique and is subjected to stares and astonished glances whenever she is out in public.
“Mostly, I enjoy it. My friends always have to be a bit prepared when they venture out with me because people do stare – especially if I’m dressed up in heels,” she said.
“I just know by now that if I’m going out with people in the evening, I’m going to get a lot of attention so I am sort of used to it.
“I have had a few people say nasty things but mostly it’s great and people are really nice”.
But Caroline hasn’t always been so confident in her appearance – she recalls being a self-conscious teenager who wanted to dress in ways that would disguise her height.
“I definitely didn’t embrace my height and there was a real period where I didn’t feel beautiful or attractive at all,” she said.
“I just wanted to be the same as everyone else.
“I started modelling when I was around 15 and that gave me confidence.
“My legs featured in a lot of stocking commercials and things but I was also rejected from a lot of jobs because of my height.
“I was told that I’m too tall for Australian beauty standards and couldn’t model clothes because they just wouldn’t fit me.
“So as much as I did get work because of my long legs, I also got knocked back for the same reason.”
At the height of her modelling career, Caroline won herself a famous fan in Beatles star George Harrison.
“I was modelling at the Melbourne Grand Prix and he was there,” she said.
“Apparently, he was really amazed by the length of my legs and asked to meet me.
“I didn’t even realise who he was but I talked to him and we even danced together.
“Someone eventually told me who he was and I couldn’t believe it. I remember going home and telling my mum and dad and they were like, ‘How many people get that opportunity? And it’s all because of your long legs!’”
Caroline has passed her impressive height on to her two children, 13-year-old Cooper, who is already 6ft 2in, and Zoe, who at 15 stands at 5ft 9in.
Caroline’s mother, Janet Ware, however, is only 5ft 2in.
Janet said: “She was always taller than all of her friends.
“When she was young she was shy and kind of ashamed of being so tall.
“I was pleased when she started modelling because it helped her to stand tall and not be stooped or trying to hide her height.
“I am so proud of her. She carries herself so well, is a lovely person, a great mother and a wonderful daughter.
“When I think that she might have the longest legs in the world, I feel incredibly proud.
“She is so striking. I love going out with her. I often walk a few paces behind because I love seeing the reactions on people’s faces as she walks by!”
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Caroline, who is married to builder, Cameron, says her mother-in-law makes her clothes for her and that her husband thoughtfully designed their house to have 10ft ceilings and extra-high kitchen worktops to accommodate his super-sized family.
Cameron said: “Caroline and I are about the same height but when we stand next to each other, her hip is much higher than mine.
“Being married to her is definitely good for my posture because I have to stand up straight.
“I think her legs most definitely are the longest in Australia – I can’t imagine any longer.
“She was working in a shop when we first met and I’d go in and see her. I never really had a thing for tall women; I just had a thing for Caroline.”
Caroline’s children say they are both excited by the prospect of seeing their mother in the Guinness World Records.
Zoe said: “Mom looks like a giant. She’s like a human skyscraper. When we are out she towers above everybody else.
“I think that Mom looks really beautiful and I really aspire to look like her.”
Whether she’s awarded the title or not, Caroline says she is finally proud of who she is and how she looks.
“I can honestly say now, as a 39-year-old woman, I’m the most secure in my own skin that I have ever been. I feel more beautiful than I ever have in my life.
“It takes time, and you go through stages, but now I definitely see my legs as a positive thing.”
Meanwhile, Chase Kennedy has missed out on the world record with pins measuring in at just 51 inches.
Brit stunner Alexandra Robertson has also flaunted her 47 inch legs, which are believed to be the UK's longest.