Born a seventh –generation member of circus act, The Flying Walledas, Nik Wallenda made headline two years ago when he became the first person to walk a tightrope over Niagara Falls. The event was broadcast live on the Discovery channel. Today, he will attempt to tightrope walk over Chicago. Blindfolded.

Beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time (4:00 p.m. Pacific), “Skyscraper Live with Nik Wallenda” will air in more than 220 countries on the Discovery Channel. The event will be hosted by Willie Geist, Natalie Morales (both from NBC’s “TODAY” show) and Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel.

“I’m always pushing myself both physically and emotionally. I hope to inspire people around the world and show that the impossible is not so impossible if you set your mind to it,” said the 35-year-old Wallenda in a recent press release.  “This has been a dream of mine and something that I’ve been practicing for awhile.” One would hope so.

For the first part of the tightrope crossing, Wallenda will walk uphill rising to a 15-degree angle – from the Marina City’s west tower to the Leo Burnett Building at more than 50 stories high above the Chicago River.  Not only will this be the highest skyscraper walk in the history of the Flying Wallenda family, it will be the first time that he has ever attempted it at such a steep angle. As if that were not enough, he will then continue to walk blindfolded while dozens of cameras and microphones capturing every step and every phrase he utters.

So, is Wallenda crazy for doing this? Is his a journey a walk of faith or is he testing God? “I believe that God has given me a unique talent and it’s up to me on how I’m going to use that talent, how I’m going to train for that talent and how I am going to prepare for that talent,” Wallenda says in a promotional commercial for the event. “In no way do I believe that He’s magically holding me on or that there’s angels holding me up there. Not at all.” So then, why do it? “I’m incredibly excited to show the world what you can do if you put your mind to it, pursue your dreams and never give up.”

Wallenda’s journey is more like a partnership with God rather than testing his faith. He views his occupation as just another one of life’s challenges that God will help get you through if you let Him. “My faith plays an important role in my life whether it be a challenge with one of my kids being sick or whether it be a challenge of losing a family member of whether it be walking across a wire. They are all challenges. It was the way I was raised was to rely on my faith no matter what challenge I was going through. I believe that He helps keep me calm, cool and collected to be able to stay confident, to make it up this wire and to make it across to the other side.”

Wallenda is also very aware of what he is attempting to do and the ultimate risk involved. Some might call him over-confident or cocky, but he seems to have a more grounded view of his mortality. “This walk will be challenge. They all are. Every walk that I do is a challenge and every walk I am facing death. I believe that it is very important to know where you’re going when you die whether I get killed in a car accident on the way to the airport, on an airplane crash on the way home or walking the wire. It doesn’t matter. It’s important that you know that you can have that confidence…that trust…that faith about where you’re going to go.”

Today, whether he succeeds or fails, he has already made a statement in a way none of us ever could. May his walk be an inspiration to people around the world. Preach it brother.