Teen with World's Longest Legs Says She Submitted to Guinness as a 'Joke': 'I Was Shocked'

Texas Teen Maci Currin Is Shattering World Records With the Longest Legs in the World

Towering 6 Feet 10 Inch Tall Currin Breaks 2 Guinness World Records

Maci Currin always knew she was tall, but she never expected her long limbs to earn any record-breaking titles.

In fact, the 6-foot-10-inch teenager only submitted herself to Guinness World Records in jest — so when she broke two world records, no one was more surprised.

“I was honestly shocked,” Maci tells PEOPLE (the TV Show!) in Friday’s episode. “I submitted to try and break it kind of for a joke. I never thought I would actually break the record. So when I found out that I actually could do it and I actually did it, I was really shocked.”

Maci, 17, recently set records for both the woman and the teenager with the longest legs in the world; her left leg stretches 53.25 inches, while her right is 52.87 inches long.

She tells PEOPLE (the TV Show!) that she had her legs measured by her doctor three different times, and the measurements were averaged out and submitted as proof to Guinness, which sent her a congratulatory email and a certificate confirming she was, indeed, the new record holder.

Trish Currin Maci Currin

“Being tall is probably the greatest gift,” says Maci, who lives in Cedar Park, Texas. “You’ve got to embrace it, and you’ve got to just roll with it. Because you’re not getting any shorter.”

Maci says she’s been taller than her peers for her entire life, though it wasn’t something that really stood out to her as a child — until she hit second grade and other kids began to notice, too.

Though Maci says her friends are incredibly supportive now, she endured taunts as a child from bullies who would call her giraffe or daddy long legs.

Trish Currin Maci Currin

“But now I’m like the CEO of giraffes and I kind of turned that negative comment around and made it into a positive thing,” she says. “It definitely hurt me, but I was surrounded by a lot of friends that helped me get through it.”

With a solid support system by her side, Maci also shrugs off snide comments by getting in on the jokes first through her popular TikTok account, which boasts nearly 2 million followers.

RELATED: Texas Teen Breaks 2 World Records with Her More Than 4-Foot-Long Legs: 'Height Is a Gift'

Trish Currin Maci Currin (R)

“With my TikTok, I really want to inspire other tall girls, that’s really the main thing,” she says. “People reach out with their stories, and message me, ‘Hey, I’m this height, I’m insecure. Can you give me advice?’ I’ve just made so many friends with other girls who are inspired by me, and it’s amazing.”

Maci hopes to pursue modeling, and plans to study business in college, with the hopes of possibly opening a clothing store of her own tailored specifically to tall girls like her.

“Everyone is unique, and instead of trying to hide your uniqueness, you should embrace it, because you might find other people who are like you and who can relate to you,” she says. “You can inspire people.”

Catch People (the TV show!) Monday through Friday. Check your local listings for exact times or stream the show every day at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT at People.com and PeopleTV.com.