Mission Accomplished: Nik Wallenda’s Near-Impossible Feat
Call him what you want: a daredevil, a high-wire artist, a crazy person. Last night on live television, the entire world got a chance to witness Nik Wallenda’s latest attempt to set a new world record for an unattached tightrope walk 1,500 feet over the Grand Canyon.
With his family, friends, random onlookers and camera crews aside, Wallenda took on the challenge of a lifetime by walking unhinged over a small tightrope, something in which he’s been practicing for months. The special, aired on Discovery Channel, was a hyped up event months in the making. Yet Wallenda couldn’t prepare himself for the real-life act.
He walked across the cable in 22 minutes, pausing about halfway through to wait until the winds died down. He had a camera attached to his shirt which allowed viewers to hear his every word. He wasn’t wearing a harness and knew that if he stepped wrong, he would be soaring to the canyon floor. As he is extremely religious, Wallenda prayed to God throughout his entire walk. He murmured thanks to Jesus along the way, as well as prayed the wind would die down so he could make it across the cable to his family.
Wallenda’s wife and three children, who have been supporting him in his crazy acts for years, were confident that he would make it across just fine. Wallenda is a seventh generation high-wire artist in his family, whose father supported him in his feat, even though they both witnessed Wallenda’s great-grandfather die from a similar act.
Wallenda’s walk across the canyon achieved him worldwide fame during the course of the two hour special, and he will continue to attempt more crazy stunts proving there is really no impossible feat.