Nik Wallenda

Nik Wallenda is an American acrobat, aerialist, daredevil, high wire artist, and author. At two years old, Wallenda’s parents bought him a swing set and before his father finished assembling the swing set, Wallenda climbed to the crossbar and did a perfect somersault. He also began to play on the wire at two, walking back and forth while he held his mother’s hand. At four-years old, Wallenda started walking the wire on his own. At six, he first visited Niagara Falls and decided that he wanted to walk the tightrope across it one day. Wallenda performs without safety nets or harnesses. In 2001, Wallenda appeared with seven other family members in an attempt at the world’s first ever eight-person high-wire pyramid. The family successfully walked across a 30-foot high tightrope in 6 minutes, which set a Guinness World Record. On February 15, 2012, Wallenda received approval to walk a tightrope across Niagara Falls. June 15, 2012 was the day that Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls.