On February 22, while in Sarasota, Florida we had the
opportunity to attend the 20th annual Circus Sarasota; something we
hadn’t done in years. I was quite surprised to learn that Nik Wallenda, the
famous aerialist, and his troupe were performing that night. His many feats
include walking tight ropes across the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. My
surprise wasn’t that they were performing at a small circus, since Sarasota, as
home to the Ringlings, has a rich circus history. My surprise was that exactly
2 weeks earlier, Nik Wallenda and his troupe made the national news as a result
of a serious training accident. At the end of the performance, Nik gave an
emotional talk to the crowd about “the roughest day of his life”. Here is Nik
after the performance, followed by his reflections:
NEVER GIVE UP! This is Nik Wallenda’s philosophy and how he lives his life. Don’t let problems get the best of you, whether they be financial, bouts with serious disease or accidents. He believes he can fight through any challenge by blocking out negativity and replacing it with positive thoughts.
On February 8, 2017, Nik Wallenda and 7 others were practicing an act that would qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records; an 8 person pyramid from a wire 28 feet off the ground. This feat had never been successfully performed at that height. The 8 had been practicing for a month and a half on a wire 12 feet off the ground and were now practicing at the full 28 feet height for the Circus’s February 10 opening. The troupe doesn’t use a net. Nik feels it gives a false sense of security. This philosophy was reinforced when an uncle was once using a net, fell into it, bounced out and was killed.
At the time of the accident, Nik and 3 others were on the wire with 2 additional human layers above them. The hips of the person at the top of the pyramid were over 40 feet from the ground. He doesn’t know why, but a couple performers started to lose their balance. His theory is someone momentarily blacked out and lost balance, causing a chain reaction. Nik, his cousin and one other person were able to grab onto the wire. He attributed his reactions to his ability to stay calm under pressure. When he’s under pressure or in stressful situations, his heart rate slows down and a calm comes over him. These traits were particularly helpful during his walks over the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. After grabbing the wire, Nik said his mind went blank and he couldn't recall what happened next. He somehow managed to work his way to the platform, swing his way onto the structure and climb to the ground.
He reported some miraculous things that occurred during the fall. In one case, a performer, after falling 30 feet, landed feet first and walked out of the tent with no serious injuries. In another case, a performer was falling head first and a veteran circus worker working nearby was able to rush over and re-direct the performer’s head. At the hospital, he was diagnosed only with broken toes! Three others taken to the hospital weren’t as lucky; two were in critical condition and one in guarded condition. They had an assortment of broken bones, including broken feet, pelvis and arms as well as facial fractures. Nik’s sister was the most seriously injured of the group.
The 3 were released from the hospital in wheelchairs and are expected to make full recoveries. One physician attributed the performers’ ability to survive the fall to their tremendous physical condition. They are well-conditioned athletes with exceptional muscle mass which helped minimize the injuries
For me, it was amazing that only 2 weeks later, Nik and parts of the group were again performing on the 28 foot wire at Circus Sarasota. I underestimated them, though. I learned that 2 days after the accident, the circus opened with Nik and a smaller group of performers putting on a modified program. Shortly after that, Nik performed on a rope 80-100 feet above the ground.
When asked how the troupe could perform after such a horrific accident, he stated simply, “Taking risks; that’s what we do!” He comes from 7 generations of aerialists and taking risks is in their blood. In 1962, his great grandfather was attempting a 7 person pyramid; something that had also never been done before on a high wire. An accident occurred and the group fell, killing two of Nik’s uncles and paralyzing a third from the waist down. His great grandfather was in the hospital with broken ribs and other injuries, but snuck out to perform. That’s the Wallenda family’s mindset. As a footnote, a few years later, his great grandfather successfully performed the 7 person pyramid. “Never give up!”, “Don’t get caught up in negativity!” and “Taking risks is what we do!” are philosophies Nik lives by.