Watch: Bedford man abseils Empire State Building alongside actor Jared Leto

Pete Henrickson, along with his brother Dean and 20 other brave people abseiled the iconic Empire State Building in New York.

And the reason behind the leap of faith? They were raising funds for Outward Bound in the UK and other international Outward Bound partners around the globe.

And during the event – the first of its kind – Outward Bound trustee, Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice was even there to cheer on the participants who raised over £2.4 million in donations.

Pete, from Bedford, said: “Awesome, truly mind-blowing. This sort of activity epitomises what Outward Bound are about, opening your mind to challenges most people would never dare dream and pushing your own limits and surprising yourself with what can be achieved. Was I scared? Of course I was, but the confidence given to me by the instructors, coupled with the adrenalin flowing from all the other participants gets you through.

"Outward Bound is so important, not just to me, but to the thousands of young people it helps every year to achieve potential they never knew they had.

Jared Leto – who won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club and fronts band Thirty Seconds to Mars – kicked off the Big Rappel, which spans nearly 900ft from the building’s iconic spire down to the 30th floor.

You can view it on his Instagram page here

He said: “Recently, I climbed up the fin of the Empire State Building to announce Thirty Seconds to Mars’ world tour and now as the tour begins, I’m excited to head the opposite direction and rappel down to shine a light on the incredible work of Outward Bound. I’ve always admired Outward Bound and how they inspire people around the globe to transform their lives through adventure, challenge, experience, and discovery.”

Outward Bound is a worldwide educational and charitable network whose mission is to change young people’s lives through challenge, learning, and adventure.