Nik Wallenda, who refers to himself as the “King of the High Wire,” proved his bona fides again last night with his latest death-defying stunt, a 1,400 feet Grand Canyon skywalk.

Wallenda, who made a similarly daring walk across Niagra Falls last year, traversed the same 2-inch steel cable in 22 minutes and 54 seconds. The event, broadcast live in 217 countries, captivated viewers as Wallenda completed the skywalk without a tether or safety net, following his usual procedure.

He acknowledged that the skywalk was stressful, saying “It took every bit of me to stay focused that entire time.” But the view 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River was “breathtaking.”

The wind added to the stress, forcing Wallenda, 34, to stop and crouch on one occasion. Prior to the walk, he had cited those famous wind gusts as a concern.

The walk did not actually take place in the Grand Canyon National Park, but just east of it, across the gorge of the Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park. Maureen Oltrogge, a spokeswoman for the park, told Forbes that it couldn’t approve the walk because “events must not unreasonably impair the park’s atmosphere of peace and tranquility or have an unacceptable impact on the experience of park visitors.”

Geri Hongeva, a spokesperson for Navajo Parks and Recreation, told Forbes that the approval process was still difficult for her group as well, but also cited its importance as a way to education the public about the Najavo Nation.

Wallenda is a seventh-generation member of the “Flying Wallendas” and sees his great grandfather, Karl Wallenda, as a personal hero who helped inspire him during the walk.

“I knelt down,” Wallenda said, “and I thought of my great-grandfather and that everything I do is to honor him. It took my mind off all this movement underneath me…and I was able to focus on him and regain composure.”

Karl died in an accident during a 1978 high wire act in Puerto Rico.

His Christian faith was another inspiration. Of it, Wallenda says, “That’s really where I get my peace. I have confidence that if something were to happen to me, I know where I’m going.”

Wallenda, who is the first person to ever complete the Grand Canyon skywalk, first thought of the possibility when visiting the site during a family trip as a teenager. According to Reuters, he hopes to complete a walk between the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings in New York City as a future challenge.