One Wrong Step and He'd Fall, But He Did the Impossible

So, it’s the mid-19th century. There are no movies, no tv, and definitely no internet – yeah, a person doesn’t have many choices for entertainment. But one man would find a way to thrill the masses, even if it meant putting his life at stake! So, his name was William Leonard Hunt, better known as… the Great Farini! The future stuntman, traveler, and inventor is a 14-year-old boy with big ambitions. He’s decided he was made for performing, but his strict parents won’t even let him go to the circus – probably the biggest form of entertainment at the time. Young Willie starts practicing with a copper wire in his barnyard – he trains himself to walk across it.

When the traveling circus comes to town, Willie knows there’s no way he can miss it. The performances fascinate him, so he starts practicing acrobatics. He masters rope-walking, tumbling, and carrying heavy objects. When Willie is 21 years old, his father takes a trip to England. With his old man gone, now is his chance! A local fair committee comes to see the young performer. They need to find out if he can tightrope-walk over the Ganaraska River. William Hunt had his awe-inspiring performance. A year later, in 1860, Farini performed the same walk across the Niagara.