Overcoming Injury + Resiliency with Lijana Wallenda (part 2)

When Lijana Wallenda opened her eyes to the sterile white of a hospital room, the absence of her voice and breath was a reality more terrifying than any high-wire act she'd ever performed. Our latest session with this resilient soul plucks at the heartstrings as she narrates her spine-chilling journey from a catastrophic accident to an inspiring recovery—a testament to the human spirit's indomitable strength. Leana unravels the layers of her physical and mental struggles, revealing how her dedication to fitness and the unwavering support from her loved ones played a pivotal role in her rapid discharge and return to the tightrope.

Imagine stepping out onto a wire high above Times Square, with the collective breath of thousands hitching a ride on your every move. That's the pulse-racing scenario our guest tightrope walker faced, fresh from a serious injury—and he's here to share every gripping detail. From meticulous planning to the mastery of his craft under the most intense conditions, the conversation swings between the critical importance of practice and the quiet confidence that comes from a storied family tradition of wire walking. This episode isn't just about the thrill of performance; it's a profound look at legacy, passion, and the courage it takes to step out into the spotlight after a fall.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

In the Grand Theater of Life. We all seek a comeback, a resurgence, a rekindling of our inner fire. But how do we spark that flame? Welcome to Reignite Resilience. This is not just another podcast. This is a journey, a venture into the heart of human spirit, the power of resilience and the art of reigniting our passions.

Speaker 2: 0:29

Welcome back to part two of our two-part interview with Leana Walenda. We are so excited to have you back and dive right back in to hear her story as she's navigating through healing and recovery of such a huge tragedy within life. But as she's working internally to overcome this adversity that she's been faced with, we get to hear how Leana may have forgotten who she was and refocusing her attention on purpose and passion and how that helped her overcome this adversity. We hope you enjoy.

Speaker 3: 1:03

But all of that's kind of a blur. I don't remember a lot of that. The moment that I remember at the hospital very vividly is I woke up in the middle of the night and I was like I'm not, I'm not breathing, oh my goodness, I'm not breathing. I looked and my mom was in a chair and a dear friend was there sitting there and I was like trying to go mom, mom, I can't breathe. But no, no sound was coming out and it's the weirdest thing. I thought about this as a weird reference, but when I was a little girl there was a Twilight Zone movie. It was a movie of like the Twilight Zone and one of the scenes there was a young girl from the back staring at a TV and when she turned around she had like no mouth, and that for some reason, stuck with me. Remember that episode.

Speaker 3: 1:42

I don't know why that stuck with me and I felt like I can't breathe, I can't talk. I was like trying to get her attention. I started like kind of tapping in the bed and they were just looking at me like they had no understanding and I just started praying. Because that was the moment I was scared. That was the moment I was like, oh my goodness, I'm not breathing, I'm dying.

Speaker 3: 1:58

But what I didn't realize is that I had a trach tube. I was breathing through a hole in my neck. I had a trach tube, a feeding tube. My jaw was wired shut. I have no recollection of any of that happening. So it took a while. When you're breathing through a trach tube, it doesn't feel like your lungs don't expand. In quite the same way, you don't feel that air passing across your throat. It's just a weird thing. So it took me a while. But I originally eventually figured that out and got used to it. But that was the hardest moment in the accident. That was when I thought oh man, I'm dying, I'm not breathing and no one's helping me. That was something.

Speaker 1: 2:32

How long were you in the hospital?

Speaker 3: 2:34

Okay.

Speaker 3: 2:35

So the doctor said originally three months I would be there. We were in the trauma unit. They were like three months with all these injuries, but I would be laying there not be able to speak, trach tube, feeding tube, jaw wired shut but I would do crunches in the bed because I was like I got to keep as much strength as I can. I got a little quite. I know I can't do everything, but I kind of keep as much strength. I had one good leg so I'd stand up on my right leg and I do mini squats. I was like I just got to stay strong. So they'd come back and like I don't know, she's doing pretty good, maybe two months, maybe a month.

Speaker 3: 3:03

They also saw my. I have a very supportive family. They saw that I had that and I ended up getting out in 10 days, which is a miracle. I mean it's a miracle, it's an absolute miracle. Yeah, oh, wow, it was much because they saw that I could go home to them. I went to stay with my parents and they took care of me. They knew I had the support I needed and stuff. There was that as well. But yeah, it's really a miracle. Gosh, I think they saw that drive that never give up, like I'm not going to lay here and give up. I'm going to do whatever I can to get back on that wire as fast as they can, or back to life as I had known, whatever that would look like after that. You know they saw that, those crunches in the bed and those squats, and you know the physical therapist coming in and working with me and me me going full force at it.

Speaker 1: 3:44

So yeah, Is there ever a moment after the accident that you're like I'm done. I'm hanging up my high wire shoes.

Speaker 2: 3:53

Yeah, you know, it just spanked my bare feet. Yes, all right.

Speaker 3: 3:57

Yeah, in the hospital. No, it just wasn't even a thought. It was like no, that's what I do, that's who I am, I'm going to get back to wire walking. And you know, I came eventually. I was home in Florida with my family for two and a half months before I could come back home to Vegas and get back to my job and stuff. But I was like I got picked here and I was a coach for a high wire. These men I trained here in Vegas so I would be on the wire with them. But it wasn't that high, it was only eight foot high. So I'd go on the wire with them and I would train in my backyard and everything was fine. Well, my brother had asked me if I wanted to walk across Times Square with him. So I was like, yes, of course. And the time came to start training up higher with him.

Speaker 3: 4:35

And the first step I took on that wire hire. I just kept seeing that image of the ground, the circus ring getting closer and closer to my face, because I have a photographic memory, you know, for certain things. And then that PTSD just hit me. I had no idea that that would be something I'd be dealing with. So you know I would be walked that wire. But I'd be terrified, just stiff and rigid and, you know, not walking the wire the way I would train someone to not walk in the way you're meant to walk the wire. But I'd say, it's okay, I'm going to go home and rest and I'll come back tomorrow morning. It'll be better. And I'd come back and I was absolutely terrified and I didn't want to do it. At that point I was like what am I doing? What's wrong with me? But see, I started believing the lies that were coming in my head. What is wrong with you? Who do you think you are? You fell off that wire. Why do you think you can do this? You shouldn't be doing this. But I was like, no, I committed I have to do it. So I kept going back every day and practicing and you know tears in the wire and like it was a lot, very. You know my brother and sister-in-law, my mom and dad like different times under me and talking to them.

Speaker 3: 5:37

It was really tough and the training had gone on for probably a month, six weeks, and the time had come that we had to move to an even higher wire. It was 50 feet high and you know I'm walking in and I'm taking about 20, 25 minutes to get across it. And then one particular walk I was walking and I realized that I was thinking about something else. I was thinking about dinner or something. What were we going to do for dinner? So when you're a seasoned wire walker, you get too comfortable sometimes so you have to be like no, get back to it, because you start thinking about dinner that night or you know whatever that is.

Speaker 3: 6:09

But I was like, oh my goodness, my goodness, my mind is wandering, oh my goodness. And I just remember to that moment that why am I so scared of this? I love the way my foot feels sliding across the wire and I love the weight of the balancing pole in my hand. And tears were streaming down my face because it was such an emotional moment. And I walked into the platform and there was a rigor up there and he goes what's wrong? And I prompt. This is honest to God, truth. I have no idea where this came from. I blurted out, I forgot who I was Like. I never thought any of that through, but it was such a true statement, because I do come from a long line of wire walkers. You know people do refer to my family as Circus Royalty right With humbleness I say that. But I'm a very good wire walker. I've walked the wire before I can remember, you know, and I forgot that.

Speaker 3: 6:57

It was such a powerful moment, like that was my breaking point. That was when I knew I was ready for Times Square. I just think it's such a. It applies to so many walks of life. It's not about the wire, it's about those pieces of you that are stripped away in trauma. You know those pieces of you and those lies that come in your head. You know, if you're going through a divorce or losing a job or whatever it is, a lot of people lose that confidence. You know they lose that, the sense of who they are and what they were born to do. And what a tragedy. If I gave into that and said, no, I don't want to do this anymore, everyone would have been fine with it. I had every reason in the world to stop walking the wire, but for me, for me, that would have been a tragedy Because I wouldn't have had that experience over Times Square. You know, it was just incredible. I wouldn't have go back to my passion. So that to me was an amazing, amazing moment. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:48

You know, six weeks of training and terrified every step of it. Yeah, but pushed through it.

Speaker 3: 7:55

And and it was taking about 20, 25 minutes to get across that wire, my time was cut in half. After that. I was doing about 10 to 12 minutes to get across. It was. It was amazing.

Speaker 1: 8:05

Yeah, and it shows when, when we come up with some, some of these adversities that people go through in their lives, you know we can, we get a choice. You know we can either allow it to define who we become or we can push through it and become a better version of ourselves, Exactly so do you feel like you are a better wire walker now that you've gone through an experience like this? I don't know if I would say better.

Speaker 3: 8:30

I would say there is, there is that. You know that fear isn't one and done. That fear does kind of come back sometimes and I have to remind myself, you know, because it's sort of like you scarred from it a little bit, right, yeah, yeah. So I don't know if I'd say better, but you know I'm, you know I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I can say I know how hard it was to get back to that, I know how hard. Even this summer I went and joined my brother in the wire and I was like, why am I? Why am I in my head? And it took me a little bit to remind myself no, I'm fine, because we, you know, we've done this our whole life. We will jump cross, we'll fly across country and jump on a high wire, not without any training to you know, it's interesting. It's like I have to remind myself that, oh no, I've broken through this already. You know, I've broken through this beer. It's, it's a journey still right.

Speaker 1: 9:18

Always a journey.

Speaker 3: 9:19

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 9:20

I think it's such a beautiful story to see that you come full circle, like overcoming that fear and Realizing that, if you were to give into it, that you're saying no to your purpose, right, so that your passion and it all happens again on the wire for you, right, like where it all began in terms of what initiated this journey for you. It happens up there, with you, all by yourself, in that moment, which is often where we find it Right. It's like when we take those moments to sit with ourselves and wherever you turn to right if it's God, universe, spirit, hishi, whatever, wherever you turn, like being in that space and realizing like this this is me, this is my journey and I have the choice at this moment.

Speaker 3: 10:04

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean, and I think I know I learned that I'm so much stronger than I ever knew, right, I told me I was gonna go through this accident and then come back and do the biggest, longest walk in my career. I don't think I get past the accident, right, like that was just but, but when you're in it, you just keep going, you keep pushing, you got to keep going, you got to keep moving, you know. So I think that that's that's sort of empowering, realizing that you're stronger than you know. You can get through anything, you know. I think we all are well stronger than we realize.

Speaker 1: 10:35

We just have to believe in ourselves. Believe in ourselves and make that choice to keep pushing through. And make that choice to keep pushing through. And you had a tribe of people. You had your, your family, that was there, every step of it, never pushing you, yeah, allowing you to, you know, walk your own journey and go back at your own speed. And, like you said, if you had told them I'm done wire walking, they would have said, okay, yeah, I'm like, yeah, they've never pushed you in your life. So, yeah, beautiful.

Speaker 2: 11:09

Talk to us about Times Square. I mean you, this was like all leading up, this is all in the training, this is all in the preparation and all for the performance. Right, because this is the thing you're training for Times Square. Take us to that moment, because this was televised. What did that feel like?

Speaker 3: 11:25

Yeah, so let's see Times Square. That that day I had overdone it in New York. I was walking around to what you were trying to do and last minute changes to my costume and that heel that I broke in the accident Was really bothering me. It was, it was really hurting. So I was like, okay, that's okay, I can get through this, it's all right. So you know, there was that Didn't look off the edge of the building.

Speaker 3: 11:46

Times Square, where I started the walk, is where the ball drops the apple I don't know what's every year at New Year. So that's where it was, didn't look off the edge till till the moment I was about to step on the wire. So you know, I walk out to the edge and and, yeah, it's scary, it was the highest walk I'd ever do. I mean the people there were 200,000 people below us. They literally look like ants. I mean it's, it's incredible. When you're up, high, looking down, it's looks way higher than when you're up, look you know. When you're down, looking up, yeah, so you know, you see that and and and, and you think you know I thought, well, what am I doing? But it's a quick, fleeting thought because I remind myself all the hours of training. You know all the blood, sweat and tears I put in and my whole life had led me to this moment, you know. So I took that first step and it was really, really scary, but I kept taking the steps. I took the next step and the next and you know everything's accomplished one step at the time, right, yeah, so you know, and 20 steps in, it was a little less scary still, I was pretty cautious, but a little less scary.

Speaker 3: 12:45

But the further I got out in the wire, it just it. Eventually just it was. It was living man, it was, it was life for me. It was amazing. It was, you know, it's, it's what me and my family live for, right. So it was amazing and it's a view that only my brother and I'll ever have. Right. Lookie down a time school from there. It was pretty incredible seeing the flashing lights of Broadway flashing up at you and all the people that came out to support me and my brother, like what, what an honor. Yeah, it was incredible. It was incredible. But you got to take that first step, because if you don't take that first step and let that fear grip you, you never get across that wire you know, and, and what you fail to mention is that you went out halfway.

Speaker 1: 13:23

You sat down, your brother stepped over you, then you got up and kept walking. Yes, well, it wasn't just this casual walk across. Yeah, yeah, you want this thing. That happened I. When I watched that video is just like oh my God.

Speaker 3: 13:39

Yeah, I was a little in my head about standing up from sitting down. I had to switch up my technique a bit because we did have to wear a safety equipment for Times Square because it was New York City and televised live and all that safety equipment actually gets in our way. So I did change up the way I stood up off the wire. It was a little in my head about it. No, I was a lot in my head about it. But the day that we left from Florida to fly out to New York, I went out on the wire and I sat down and stood up 25 times, literally 25 times.

Speaker 3: 14:06

I did it at a decline, at an incline, In the center. It was more moving. Did all of that so that it gives me confidence for in the moment. So, even though I was nervous, I was like, no, I got this. I did this 25 times in every different condition possible. I have it. And so I did it and I stood up and I remember I said I think I even said out loud like now, it's all fun from here.

Speaker 3: 14:30

You know, it was pretty great. I had some mix up with my safety line and it got kind of tangler on my pull. I had to unhook it and it was my brother's bouncy pull slipped down his pants a little and he was kind of when he was like one foot over me and one foot behind me, like it was, the other was. It was a little tricky yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:48

But we did it, but you still had that. You were able to find that moment of exhilaration right. The thrill, the excitement, all of it came rushing back to you. Oh yeah, oh yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:59

Wow, I love that and I love what you said about you just practiced and practiced and practiced. Like you knew you were going to do something that you weren't super comfortable doing the sitting down and standing up because it was going to be a little bit different and you put that time in, and I think a lot of resilience has to do with the work that's done before the priming.

Speaker 2: 15:21

Yeah, the priming that takes place. You have to.

Speaker 1: 15:24

Yeah, and you did it, and that allowed you to have the mindset that you're like I got this. I just I did it 25 times Like I, that's like.

Speaker 3: 15:34

That's kind of what you fall back on in those moments.

Speaker 1: 15:37

You're muscle memory yeah.

Speaker 2: 15:40

Oh my gosh, that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing that story. Are you still coaching wire walkers?

Speaker 3: 15:47

Not right now, just my son once for a great while, when he chooses to come out. I'm in practice. No, I'm just, I'm training myself and you know performing here, but but yeah.

Speaker 1: 15:57

And I'd love to ask you. So you've got a son, so is he following in your footsteps with this, or?

Speaker 3: 16:04

Well, he's 13. So during the quarantine, yes, he's back out on the wire every day and walk and he became a good wire walker. He he kind of got the bug bit of when he saw the time screw up. He saw the tension of all the cameras in the crowd. So he became a pretty good little wire walker. But he's 13 now and he doesn't want to do what mom does right now. He's a little of that rebellious. So. So I don't push him. You know, if he wants to come back to it, I'm there and I'll help him and I'll train him really good, Make sure you see. If they're so, who knows, it's all what he's going to end up wanting to do. I want him to be happy in life. So you know, whatever he chooses, I love it.

Speaker 2: 16:40

You could have stopped the sentence that he's 13. We get it, yeah, we would have been like we get it.

Speaker 3: 16:45

Just trying to get you in. We got yes, I'm walking across Times Square. Let me tell you.

Speaker 1: 16:52

Oh my goodness, Exactly yes, there's no amount of preparation for that.

Speaker 3: 16:57

Really no yes.

Speaker 2: 17:00

Well, you get. I mean, I feel like you get two options with a, with a teenager and I only have girls and I have two adult girls. I don't know what it's like to raise teenage boys, but I can only imagine you get one of two extremes. It's like I'll do it when on my time, or I'm going to just train for Times Square, like right off the bat, like that's where we're going to start.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Yeah, oh, I love that. So so what's next for you? So you're, you're still doing the, the wire walking, but you've got this incredible, inspirational story right now and I know that you're wanting to share the story with people and hopefully motivate and create almost like a community for other people that have gone through, you know, difficult times.

Speaker 3: 17:44

Yeah, look, I feel like I've gone through all these hard things. I mean I've got a fraction of it right. All the every day. Recovery was really tough, but I don't want to just keep that to myself. I want to tell people what I went through, because if I can go through this, you can go through it too. You're you're. You're stronger than you know. You're going to get through it. So, yeah, I'm. You know, I'm speaking to people, to groups of people, about that, working on a book as well.

Speaker 1: 18:08

So, yeah, do you have a name for the book? Not yet.

Speaker 3: 18:14

We're still in the early stages of that.

Speaker 1: 18:18

We will definitely watch for that.

Speaker 2: 18:20

Absolutely. Please keep us posted on the book as soon as you launch. We would love to share it with our community and get that in their hands as well, Because, as Pam mentioned, the story is beautiful and for you to be able to have the courage and desire to share it. You figured out your purpose in life. You've been able to live in your true purpose and now I think you've kind of uncovered a new one in what this next chapter of life looks like for you.

Speaker 1: 18:42

On this journey, yeah, yeah, we're big proponents and you know, everything that we go through in our life is meant to be shared, because somebody needs to hear it, because they may be going through it and may not have the support like what you had. You had your whole family that was there to support you, and not everybody has that. So, it's a beautiful thing. I love it.

Speaker 2: 19:02

I love it. I love that so much. Oh, my goodness, you know I'm going to adopt the Circus Royalty phrase because I think that it is absolutely appropriate. I mean, as you were talking, I'm just thinking, what profession out there do we have seven generations of that same profession? It's very limited, right? I think we can probably name them on a hand, or maybe two, and then to actually have that so and to see the excitement now with your son on his time when he would like to do whatever that would look like, I think that it is well-deserved, it is an appropriate term and descriptor for you and it's beautiful what you guys have done.

Speaker 2: 19:40

And I think, as you mentioned, there's so much more in your story. We didn't talk about the progression of your family coming to the US and traveling and what that looks like, and there are layers of adversity I'm sure that they had to overcome just in that process during that timeframe. Thank you to your family. Tremendous respect for all that you guys are doing and continuing to do in the lives that you're continuing to touch, especially in the world of performance. Like that's beautiful. I love that.

Speaker 1: 20:06

Any final things that you would like to share with our listeners?

Speaker 3: 20:10

I think I kind of said it. If you're going through something that sort of stripped some of your confidence away, you just need to really remember who you are, remember what you were born to do. And maybe it's really scary, maybe it's going to take you some time and whatever that version of practice is I practice on the wire, maybe it's, I don't know. Give yourself the time. Don't be down on yourself. It takes you a while, but please keep pushing through and know that you're so much stronger than you know you are and you can't get through this. Don't forget who you are. I always say don't forget who you are, don't forget who you're born to be.

Speaker 1: 20:45

I love that. And where can people find you? So if people want to reach out, they want to book you to speak. How can they follow you? Tell us and we'll make sure we put in the show notes so that people can reach out to you.

Speaker 3: 20:59

Yeah, so my website is thehighwireprojectcom. It's the H-I-G-H-W-I-R-E projectcom, awesome, yeah, you can reach me through that Perfect.

Speaker 1: 21:14

I love it, I love it. Don't forget who you are. Yeah, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2: 21:19

That's powerful.

Speaker 1: 21:20

Yeah, thank you so much for coming on sharing your story. I know that was a difficult experience to live through again and to share it, but I know that you've inspired me and I am sure you've inspired our listeners, and so I'm just truly grateful for you to be here with us. Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Thank you, thank you.

Speaker 2: 21:41

Thank you. Until next time, listeners, we will join you on another episode of Reignite Resilience. If you would like to get more Reignite Resilience, you can head over to ReigniteResiliencecom, where you can subscribe to our newsletter or even become part of our VIP community and always reach out to us on social media. You can find us on Facebook or Instagram, the Reignite Resilience Podcast. We would love to connect with you, hear your stories and your feedback about these episodes. We look forward to seeing you all soon. Bye, everyone. Thank you for joining us on today's episode of Reignite Resilience. We hope that you had amazing a-has and takeaways. Remember to subscribe on your favorite streaming platform, like it and download the upcoming episodes, and if you know anyone in your life that is looking to continue to ignite their resilience, share it with them. We look forward to seeing you on our future episodes and until then, continue to reignite that fire within your hearts.