High-wire artist and FaithWords author Nik Wallenda succeeded Sunday in becoming the first person to walk on a wire across the Grand Canyon during Discovery Channel's Skywire Live special.

After a tense 22 minutes and 54 seconds of walking the 1,400-foot wire, Wallenda kissed the ground at the finish line and hugged his wife. He was then presented with gifts from the president and vice president of the Navajo nation, which had jurisdiction over the area of the Grand Canyon that Wallenda traversed.

The biggest challenge Wallenda faced was strong gusts of wind, which clocked in at 48 mph before he began his walk.

"It was stressful," Wallenda told Skywire Live hosts Natalie Morales and Willie Geist. "It was a combination of the wire moving the way it was. I think the tension really played a key role in that and those winds—as I said from the beginning—so unpredictable."

Wallenda said his faith helped him stay focused on making it to the other side. Just before his stunt, Wallenda had megachurch pastor and FaithWords author Joel Osteen with him to offer spiritual support and lead prayer with his family.

"Praise God, this is awesome," Wallenda said as soon as he began his walk.

As he walked the wire, Wallenda continued praying, asking God to help him relax.

"Winds are way worse than I expected," Wallenda said while walking.

When told to relax by his father, Wallenda responded: "Kind of hard to relax when you're 1,500 feet above the ground."

Later, he added, "Joe Cool ain't so cool right now."

At a height of 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River Gorge, Wallenda, 34, walked on a wire that was just 2 inches thick, while traversing the 1,400-foot-wide gap between cliffs without wearing a tether or safety harness of any kind. Nearly 13 million viewers watched Wallenda's historic walk, The Hollywood Reporter reported.

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 will appear on ABC's The View to talk about the walk and his memoir Tuesday, June 25.

"My dream for my next stunt is to walk between two skyscrapers in New York City," Wallenda said. "I can imagine the millions of fans that will be there watching."

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. He is a seventh-generation descendant and member of the famous Great Wallendas.

Visit skywire.discovery.com to watch Wallenda's walk on Skywire Live.

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