Book cover for Balance: A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line by Nik Wallenda and David Ritz

Balance

A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line

2013 Released
224 Pages
3-4 Hours
Ebook Unavailable
Audiobook Unavailable
Paperback Unavailable
Hardback Unavailable
FaithWordsISBN 9781455545506

Nik Wallenda, "King of the High Wire," doesn't know fear. As a seventh generation of the legendary Wallenda family, he grew up performing, entertaining, and pushing the boundaries of gravity and balance.

When Nik was four years old, he watched a video from 1978 of his great grandfather, Karl Wallenda, walking between the towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel in Puerto Rico, stumbling, and falling to his death because of improper rigging. When Nik heard his father quote his great-grandfather-"Life is on the wire, everything else is just waiting"-the words resonated deep within his soul and he vowed to be a hero like Karl Wallenda.

Balance is the theme of Nik's life: between his work and family, his faith in God and artistry, his body and soul. It resonates from him when performing and when no one is looking. When walking across Niagara Falls, he prayed aloud the entire time, and to keep his lust for glory and fame in check, Nik returned to the site of his performance the next day and spent three hours cleaning up trash left by the crowd.

Nik Wallenda is an entertainer who wants to not only thrill hearts, but to change hearts for Christ. Christ is the balance pole that keeps him from falling.

Nik Wallenda is an entertainer who wants to not only thrill hearts, but to change hearts for Christ. Christ is the balance pole that keeps him from falling.

Nik Wallenda

Nik Wallenda is a seventh-generation member of the legendary Wallenda family. Known worldwide for his incredible feats upon the high wire and beyond, Nik is the holder of seven Guinness World Records, among which are the highest four-level eight-person pyramid on the wire, the highest and longest bicycle ride on a wire, and hanging from a helicopter by his teeth. Nik's career began at the age of two, as he learned to walk the wire while holding his mother's hand, leading from there to record-breaking performances across the United States and around the world. In 2012, Nik fulfilled his lifelong dream to become the only person to walk directly over the precipice of Niagara Falls, which was broadcast live by ABC. In 2013, he became the first person to walk a wire across the Grand Canyon, an epic event aired live by the Discovery Channel in 178 countries, breaking network rating and social media records in the process. The next Discovery special took place in Chicago, where he walked blindfolded between two skyscrapers in November of 2014. In June of 2019, accompanied by his sister Lijana Wallenda, Nik took it to yet another level, becoming the first person to walk over New York City's Times Square, an event that was carried live on ABC. Nik's motto is "never give up", and he carries this positive message with him in every walk with the purpose of "inspiring people around the world to follow their dreams."

More by Nik Wallenda

David Ritz

David Ritz is the author of the acclaimed novels The Man Who Brought the Dodgers Back to Brooklyn and Blue Notes Under a Green Felt Hat. He is the only four-time winner of the Gleason Book of the Year Award. He's also cowritten the memoirs of many celebrities.

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