High-wire artist and FaithWords author Nik Wallenda will seek to become the first person to walk over the Grand Canyon on a high wire this weekend.

A seventh-generation descendant of the legendary Great Wallendas, Wallenda's death-defying feat, Skywire Live, will be broadcast at 8 p.m. EST, Sunday, June 23, on the Discovery? Channel. At a height of 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River Gorge, Wallenda, 34, will walk on a wire that is just 2 inches thick, while traversing the 1,400-foot-wide gap between cliffs. He will have to adjust to sudden wind gusts of more than 20 mph with no safety tether attaching him to his line, Discovery? officials said.

"Before I set out, I will join with my family in prayer, just as I do before every walk I take on the wire," Wallenda wrote for Guideposts magazine. "We will thank God for a gift we may not understand, but which we know we must honor. I train, I focus, and I have faith in the path I feel called to follow. I know God is with me every step of the way."

Earlier this month, FaithWords published Balance: A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line, in which Wallenda recounts his lifelong journey with Christ, his battles with ego and his experiences as a circus performer. He recently appeared on NBC's Today show to discuss the book and Grand Canyon crossing.

In June 2012, Wallenda become the first person to walk a wire over Niagara Falls, which was broadcast live on an ABC TV special. Unbeknownst to Wallenda, ABC officials kept his microphone on, which allowed television viewers to hear his continual prayers.

Visit skywire.discovery.com for more information on Skywire Live.

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