Nik Wallenda spent time in Chicago Thursday, 600 feet below his precarious position set for Sunday.
“I love this city,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”
The death defying daredevil says he has always had a special place in his heart for Chicago, and that’s why he chose to use the city for his latest stunt.
“This Discovery Channel special will air in over 220 counties around the world, and so I’m able to pick and choose where to go,” he said. “I’ve loved this city for years, loved these buildings, so I’m just happy to be in such an incredible city.”
Wallenda, a 7th generation member of the famous family of daredevils, plans to walk a tightrope between two sets of Loop skyscrapers at around 6 p.m. on Sunday in what he calls “the steepest incline that I’ve ever walked.”
He’s expected to walk on a wire no wider than a nickel.
Wallenda first plans to walk from Marina City’s 534-foot-tall west tower, across the Chicago River, to the 635-foot-tall Leo Burnett Building at a 15-degree angle, uphill without a net or harness. The stretch spans two city blocks.
He then will walk between Marina City’s west and east towers, blindfolded.
“I won’t be wearing a harness no matter what,” he said. “I could postpone because of weather, but that would be a last resort.”
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The windy and potentially rainy Sunday forecast has prompted concerns over the event, but Wallenda says he’s trained in winds topping 100 miles per hour.
“I don’t ever look at the forecast because it changes so rapidly,” he said. “It doesn’t help me in any way. Who cares what tomorrow is like, because Sunday night is what matters to me.”
Wallenda maintains that, despite his shocking and breathtaking stunts, he’s no different than anyone else.
“The biggest challenge is overcoming, well, you know, fear,” he said. “We all have fear. I’m just like anyone else.”
