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On August 29, many other thrill seekers and I rappelled down the side of the Mohegan Sun Sky Tower for Over the Edge! This was my first time participating and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!  

To prepare, I bought a Spider-Man suit and watched several videos of people going Over the Edge. I also spent the past few months raising $1,250 for Special Olympics Connecticut. While I thought I was up for the challenge at first, I became nervous in the weeks leading up to the event. However, I told myself that no matter what I did, I was safe and I wouldn’t fall!  

On the day of Over the Edge, I kept praying that it would be a success. I was immediately greeted by several dedicated staff members as well as many other people who were participating. There were even a few therapy dogs there! Although I had everything signed, I was told that there would be a delay due to thunder and lightning, which ended up lasting about two hours. After a while, I went to get changed into my costume and I really felt like I was Spider-Man. I got a lot of praise for my costume and many people wanted to take my picture. I even met Hector Sanchez, a Global Messenger who I interviewed a few months ago and we were able to have a nice chat. This helped the time go by fast and before I knew it, it was time to rappel.  

Before everyone went Over the Edge, we all went into a room where the equipment was. We were told that everybody who had been waiting would have a chance to rappel. There would be three people going at a time and the crew would get as many people up to the roof as possible. After getting into the harnesses, they showed everyone what it would be like to rappel and how to use the rest of the equipment. When it was my turn for training, I felt secure as the harness held me in place. Still, the biggest challenge was ahead. 

The first 21 people who rappeled, including myself, all took a freight elevator up to the 31st floor. I was extremely nervous, but I said another prayer and conversed with the other participants and the crew. As I climbed up the steps to get strapped in, I reminded myself that I would be secure no matter what. The scariest part was walking over the ledge of the tower and sitting down. However, the amazing crew members assured me that the hardest part was over. I then started to walk down the side of the building to the cheers of everyone both on the roof and on the ground. It took me about ten minutes to get to the bottom, but once I did I felt like I was on top of the world!  

Overall, I am glad that I got to go Over the Edge despite the delays. Although I won’t be rappelling again next year, I hope to be able to cheer the brave participants on from the sidelines!