Nick completes longest civilian abseil down The Shard
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Having skydived from 9144 metres (30,000ft) above Mt. Everest for charity and won the LMP2 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours, Nick still described the abseil as “one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
Nick received training from the Royal Marines, and using special equipment for the tower of glass, abseiled down Western Europe’s tallest skyscraper from the top 87th floor to the finish platform on the 20th floor. He was one of only a select few chosen to make the whole descent.
Just 40 people were selected for the charity abseil, including Prince Andrew who, in his role as the Chairman of The Outward Bound Trust, dreamt up the daredevil stunt. Other brave participants included Sir Chris Bonington and Ffion Hague, the Outward Bound Deputy Chairman and wife of the Foreign Secretary the Rt Hon William Hague MP.
Nick: “What an experience and one that I’m so honoured to have been a part of to help such a great cause. You can’t really put into words the feelings you get when you come out at the top, because the panoramic views of London are quite simply amazing and there’s no building that comes close. The worst bit was definitely the first few seconds when you go over the edge; it’s a real heart stopping moment. During the long middle section of the descent, at half distance, you’re still not below the top of the Gherkin, which is quite a weird feeling!
“The main thing is that the abseil is for such a wonderful cause. We’ve done really well with our fund-raising and are currently just shy of twenty-five thousand pounds for the Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund, and that certainly gives you confidence all the way down that it’s for such a good cause.
“There is no better way to see London and I loved every minute of it. I wish I could say I wasn’t scared, but at the top but I was – it really does give you a perspective of heights! To be able to see London from that birds-eye view was just phenomenal. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
There’s still time to support Nick in this extremely worthwhile cause by making a donation at: www.justgiving.com/Nick-Leventis
