.png?width=1200)
Morteza Mehrzadselakjani, a towering figure in Iranian sports and the second-tallest person in the world at 8 feet 1 inch, has encountered an unexpected challenge at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The star player of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s sitting volleyball team.
Well there is no bed in the Paralympic Village that can accommodate his extraordinary height. As a result, Mehrzad has been forced to sleep on the floor.
Team’s head coach Hadi Rezaeigarkani, who discovered him said “He doesn’t have a special bed, but he has got the most important aim in his mind. It doesn’t matter for him whether he will lay on the floor or he’s not going to have enough to eat. In any way, he has the mind to become a champion.”
What is Morteza Mehrzadselakjani's medical condition?
At 36 years old, Morteza lives with a rare medical condition known as acromegaly, which leads to excessive growth in certain parts of the body. By the time he was just 16 years old, he had already surpassed 6 feet in height.
Adding to his challenges, at the age of 15, Mehrzad suffered a severe pelvic fracture that caused his right leg to stop growing, leaving it about 15 centimeters shorter than his left leg.
How has inclusion of Morteza Mehrzadselakjani beniffited Iran volleball team?
Since Mehrzad joined Iran’s sitting volleyball team in 2016, they’ve experienced nothing but success, winning two Olympic gold medals and two consecutive world titles.
His height allows him to smash a volleyball set 6 feet 4 inches off the ground while seated in a wheelchair. His wingspan can cover a third of the net on his own in the six-a-side sport.
Story of Morteza Mehrzadselakjani
His career began with a tragic twist of fate. At age 13, a cycling accident left him with a severely fractured pelvis, which stunted the growth of his right leg. The accident, coupled with a genetic condition known as acromegaly, caused by excessive growth hormone production in his brain’s pituitary gland, led to his right leg growing six inches shorter than his left. The disease put him in depression.
However his life took a dramatic turn when he appeared on one of Iran’s most popular TV shows, Mah-e Asal—meaning “Honeymoon” in Farsi. His coach Hadi was among them, recognizing the potential in Mehrzad’s extraordinary stature for sports. While Mehrzad’s focus in Paris remains on achieving glory, his ultimate wish is to find relief from a condition that he has long regarded as a curse.
