Maria Wattel got her name in the record book.
Wattel has been racing for almost two decades. PDO
Dutch Maria Wattel, 43, is the world’s tallest female bodybuilder. In 2022, the exactly 182.5-centimeter bodybuilder got his name in the famous Guinness Book of Records.
The record had not been registered before. Wattel got the idea to send an application to Guinness from a friend From Olivier Richterswho happens to be the world’s tallest male bodybuilder (218.3 centimeters).
Wattel’s height has been admired, but it has also had negative effects. A bodybuilder living in Greece said a year ago US Sun’s in the interview that he received rude treatment from local men.
– I am taller than most of the gym goers. Especially in Greece, where people are shorter than those living in Northern Europe, Wattel describes.
– When you enter the gym, you immediately know there are men there who don’t like you. I think it’s because of jealousy.
The muscular Wattel also says that he has suffered from prejudices against women and the violation of traditional features related to femininity. Among other things, he has been spat on.
However, the negativity of outsiders has not discouraged the Dutchman. She wants to be an example to other girls and show that big muscles don’t make a woman worse. Wattel encourages people to think more positively about bodybuilding.
– Bodybuilding is a way to let off steam and a way to understand yourself better. I want younger girls to say to themselves, “I want to get in good shape and build muscle.”
Judges helpless
Maria Wattel stands out from other bodybuilders with her height. Photo from 2015. PDO
Interested in bodybuilding at the age of 19, Wattel remembers moments in his professional career when the competition judges didn’t know what to do with him. The Dutchman, who is clearly taller than the other competitors, remembers being completely underestimated at times, when he could not be compared to the other competitors.
– I was left without an assessment for a genetic reason that I could not influence myself, Wattel says on the Guinness website.
Wattel competed for the first time in 2005 and continues to compete in competitions around the world. For example, at the beginning of November, he published a medal picture of himself from the games organized in Florida. If the series of images below does not open, try this Instagram link.
You can also find it on Wattel’s Instagram page joint picture the world’s shortest bodybuilder Choon Tan’s with. Tan, who competes in the UK, is 137 centimeters tall.