Walking the line - stuntman relies on prayer

Posted by Simon Cross  ·  2 visitor comments

A daredevil tightrope walker, who became the first person to cross the Niagra Falls on a high-wire, has described how constant prayer kept him going during the amazing feat.

Stuntman Nik Wallenda,33, walked the 460 metres on a two inch wide steel cable, in just over 25 minutes.

But the funambulist, who is a seventh generation member of a well-known family of daring circus acrobats, had to brave high winds and blinding mists, and needed to carry a balancing pole weighing nearly 20 kilograms to keep himself steady.

And to cope with the mental and physical challenge which the crossing presented him with,  the committed Christian turned to prayer.

“I really prayed non-stop,” he said. “The Bible says pray without ceasing and I’m always praying.”

An estimated 13.1 Million viewers tuned in across the USA to watch Wallenda attempt the feat, and could hear him saying ‘Praise Father God, Praise Jesus’ as he walked the wire.

Nik told afterwards, how the hardest part of the walk was when he walked ‘over the precipice’ of the Horseshoe falls, describing how his brain tried to stop him doing it.

He overcame his instincts by telling himself that walking a tightrope at 200ft, is the same as walking it at 1ft – and so he carried on, and prayed.

"Faith plays a huge role in what I do. I believe that God has opened many doors for me in my life and this is one of them," he said, during a post walk press conference.

He added: "Praise God here I am in one piece."

When customs officials greeted him at the end of his walk, and asked him ‘what is the purpose of your trip sir?’ He answered: ‘To inspire people around the world.’

For his next challenge, Wallenda intends to cross the Grand Canyon.

28th June

June 28th, 2012 - Posted & Written by Simon Cross

Thumbs Down 0
Thumbs Up 0

Did you find this article useful?

2 Visitor Comments

Join in the Eden community and comment on this article

Angeldance1812

Angeldance1812

Posts: 2

Thought someone else had done it - Blondini?

Thursday, 28th June 2012 at 9:42PM

Reply to this comment

0 Thumbs Down
0 Thumbs Up

Did you find this comment useful?

Simon Cross

Simon Cross

Posts: 242

Previous attempts, including by Blondin, were apparently over the Niagra river, not over the actual precipice of the falls itself. Amazing feats though they were for sure, but they didn't go 'over the void'. The last person who walked across the Niagra did so in 1896, Wallenda is the first ever to go right across the falls, a walk approximately 500ft further than the previous acrobats.

Friday, 29th June 2012 at 11:28AM

Reply to this comment

0 Thumbs Down
0 Thumbs Up

Did you find this comment useful?

Leave A Comment

Leave your comments or suggestions in regards to this article.

Please login to post a comment.
Most Popular Articles
Prayer Books Every Christian Should Read
Posted on Monday 15th of January
New Lent Bible Study Guides 2024
Posted on Monday 15th of January
LENT COURSES - How to choose the right one for you
Posted on Monday 15th of January
When is Easter 2024?
Posted on Friday 5th of January
Christian Christmas Cards
Posted on Friday 20th of October
Prayer Books Every Christian Should Read
Posted on Monday 15th of January
New Lent Bible Study Guides 2024
Posted on Monday 15th of January
LENT COURSES - How to choose the right one for you
Posted on Monday 15th of January
When is Easter 2024?
Posted on Friday 5th of January
Christian Christmas Cards
Posted on Friday 20th of October
LENT COURSES - How to choose the right one for you
Posted on Monday 15th of January
New Advent Study Guides
Posted on Monday 16th of October
Where to Watch the New C.S. Lewis Film
Posted on Thursday 12th of May
Free Christian Resources for Children
Posted on Friday 1st of May
The Eden Bible Guide series
Posted on Monday 17th of February
Recent Article Comments

Nia Wright has made 0 posts.

34 useful comments

A Reader has made 70 posts.

28 useful comments

Les Ellison has made 44 posts.

11 useful comments

James Warwood has made 4 posts.

9 useful comments

Lyn Myers has made 5 posts.

8 useful comments

Last updated: 2 days10 hrs22 mins ago