Attendees at the Heat Treat 2019 exhibitor welcome reception at the TCF Center in Detroit on Tuesday, October 15, all looked up and stood breathless as Blake Wallenda, a seventh generation member of the famous Wallenda family, walked fearlessly back and forth on a steel wire high above the show floor. His act included lying on his back and also performing a headstand on the wire! And fyi…there were no harnesses holding him and no safety nets below!
Wallenda jokes that he’s an acrobatic engineer. He personally inspects the quality of the steel wire, steel poles, slip joints, and anchoring steel stakes for his acts. He even conducted a stress test on the 5/8 inch wire rope that he walked on Tuesday night.
Wallenda enjoyed the audience feedback from the Heat Treat exhibitors and attendees. “There was a pretty loud roar,” he said. The crowd was certainly awe-inspired by the performance. When asked who inspires him, Wallenda cited his family and all of his ancestors, especially his great grandfather, mother, and cousin Nik.
Like most Wallendas, Blake started his training on the wire at age two. “As soon as we can walk, they put us on the wire.” Analyzing and improving posture and gait are critical components of their balance training.
Overcoming fear is also key to the life of an acrobat. “Once you think you have your fears in check, another one pops up and you have to tackle that,” Wallenda said. His recommendation to anyone trying to overcome challenges and fears—whether in sports, business, or on a high wire—is to take baby steps and pace yourself. Of course, Wallenda’s skills are developed to the point where he gets an adrenalin rush from trying new things and pushing the envelope on his acts. After tackling his initial fears, the adrenaline rush pushes him to reach his goals.
When asked what his next acrobatic challenge will be, Wallenda stated, “I would like to achieve the world record for longest headstand from a high wire.” Judging from his performance at Heat Treat 2019 in Detroit, the sky’s the limit for this acrobat!
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Image – Blake Wallenda performs a breathtaking act on a wire high above the Heat Treat expo floor.
For more information about Heat Treat 2019, visit:
https://www.asminternational.org/web/heat-treat-2019
For more information about Blake Wallenda, visit:
