Tony Robbins isn’t a guy that goes unnoticed. He juggles it all: coaching, author, speaker, philanthropist, husband, father. He’s known for his motivational and life-changing seminars, self-help books, and infomercials. Recognized as a world authority on leadership psychology, Robbins has founded charity organizations, raised money for non-profits, and has helped fight against child trafficking and slavery. In addition to all of the huge impacts Robbins is making in the world, he is, quite literally, a big man. Just how big, exactly? We’ve got all the details.
Why Is He So Tall?
Tony Robbins looks like he might have been born to be an athlete. However, believe it or not, he wasn’t always so tall. In fact, when he entered the tough years of high school, he was only 5’1”. Even at the fast-growing age of 16, he was still just 5’7”. So, what exactly happened?
It wasn’t until after high school did he grow nearly a foot larger than he was during high school, and it wasn’t your ordinary growth spurt. Prior to this, his short stature gave him the tenacity to push his way to the stop—becoming student body president and making a name for himself as a real go-getter. When he was 31 years old, Robbins was diagnosed with a brain tumor that affected his pituitary gland, shooting his height up a shocking ten inches. In addition to this shocking news, Robbins was also diagnosed with a rare disorder called acromegaly—a moment that would forever change the course of his life.
“That was a brutal day, a moment of humbling disbelief, anger, and doubt. I’d been healthy as a horse but was told I had a rare disorder called acromegaly, which caused the excessive growth spurt in my teens. At six-foot-seven, with size 16 feet, it didn’t take a brain surgeon to tell me that. He recommended surgery, but I never had it. And I’ve never had a problem. If I’d listened, they would have cut out a piece of my brain,” he said in an interview with Playboy.
What is acromegaly, exactly? According to the NHS UK, it is a rare condition in which the body produces too much of the growth hormone, causing bones and tissue to grow at a rapid pace. When developed after puberty, it’s often known as gigantism. In addition to all of this trauma, Robbins also ended up with mercury poisoning after taking on a very fish-centric diet.
Tony Robbins’ Height
At a very impressive height of 6’7” now, Robbins is nearly one foot over the average height for American men (at approximately 5’9”). Not only that, but his shoe size is a shocking 16, which blows the average size of 10.5 out of the water. Coming to the conclusion that Robbins is certainly a larger-than-life human in both his personality and in stature.
On a personal note, Robbins’ beautiful wife, Bonnie “Sage” Robbins, is above average height at 5’8”, and his biological son, Jairek Robbins (mother, Liz Acosta, is from a previous marriage) is an impressive 6’1”.
Making a grand appearance wherever he goes, Robbins has certainly made an impression on nearly everyone he’s come across—making it a natural progression for him to get into self-help and motivation for others. With his giant stature, Robbins is surprisingly the second-tallest motivational speaker—Magic Johnson takes the lead at 6’9”, while peers include Joel Osteen at 6-feet even, and Joe Rogan at a humble 5’8”.
Is there a correlation between height and success? Psychologist Timothy A. Judge, Ph.D., of the University of Florida, says that tall people might have a greater sense of self-esteem and confidence in a social setting than those of shorter stature. So, it might just be that it was in the cards for Robbins to be a success.
No matter the biological causes of his impressive height, Robbins is most certainly a personality that has made his mark on the world—and we commend for that. His influence on the world has paved a way for many people to find their true path of happiness, and that is larger than life.