A former professional basketballer has started a Tall People club in the Bay of Plenty to encourage social outings and the exchange of useful tips among those of above-average height.
Standing a statuesque 188cm tall herself, Iryna Stewart is inviting women over 178cm and men over 182cm to join her private Facebook group for both online communication and face-to-face outings like coffee meetings.
A member of several international tall people groups, Iryna says she can see how comfortable tall people are to communicate with each other about the same problems or just share their thoughts.
And tall people, it appears, automatically share a certain camaraderie.
'I always get a smile from others with whom we can see eye-to-eye, literally,” she says.
Well-meaning strangers may not realise it, but for a tall person comments like: ‘You are so tall! How tall are you? How is the weather up there?' can be frustrating at times.
Above-average height certainly has advantages, like being able to easily see a concert from the crowd, but it comes with problems too.
Leg room on planes, especially if it is international long flight, is one Iryna says.
'My husband, who is taller than me, and I always pay extra for emergency-exit seats as having long legs we cannot sit comfortably in an ordinary seat.
'Also there is a problem to find long trousers and big size comfortable shoes. For the last decade more companies started to produce clothes and shoes for tall people, but it is still a challenge to find them.”
The private group has 34 members so far – 24 females and 10 males. Youngest of the group is a 15-year-old student.
A licensed immigration advisor by occupation, Iryna is also a tour guide and a Russian-language tutor and translator.
She's no stranger to arranging events, having organised the Tauranga Russian Festival in 2018 and the Slavic Festival last year.
The COVID-19 lockdown, with its lack of international tourists, and a decreased number of people who can apply for a New Zealand visa, has affected her immigration business meaning she has had some spare time to organise the club.
Anyone interested in joining the group can check out the BOP Tall People Club on Facebook or phone Iryna directly on: 0210 226 2619.