Vikings' Sendejo shows off 'Turtle power' while rappelling 38 stories

Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo rappelled 38 stories down the face of a high-rise in Austin, Texas, last month to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish “Over the Edge” fundraiser.

We wrote in the days leading up to the event that Sendejo planned to execute the descent dressed in a costume of Raphael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, one of his childhood heroes.

The agility and focus required for this sort of stunt was honed long before Sendejo played in the NFL. At age 5, Sendejo began studying martial arts. …

“I was obsessed with ninjas,” Sendejo said. “It was always heavy ninja-themed.”

Sendejo followed through with his promise and the Vikings captured the experience.

Here are some of the photos, but be sure to check out the full gallery:

“You get to kind of challenge yourself to face something that’s pretty scary, to lean off the edge of a building at 40 stories high, but at the same time, you’re helping someone else out, so it’s like a two-for-one special,” Sendejo told Vikings.com’s Craig Peters. “You’re kind of overcoming something for yourself and helping someone else in need to try to help them overcome something that they’re going through, too.

“The first thing you do is put the balls of your feet on the edge, and your heels are off. They didn’t tell me if I fell over I would be secure, so I was still holding on. They said you’re good to go, and the first thing you do is lean back so you’re parallel to the ground, and they make you take both your hands off. The scariest thing you can possibly do is be up top with no hands.

“After that, it’s very easy. They had a lever that you could pull on to let the rope through and you just go all the way down. I would take an occasional break and look around, enjoy the view, so it was cool.”

Sendejo posted a photo on Instagram of him hanging off the edge of the building with the caption “Turtle Power.”