Her husband Nic's own daredevil acts are equal parts fascinating and terrifying, so when Erendira Wallenda set out to dangle from a helicopter above Niagra Falls using just her teeth this morning, people showed up, because no one who follows the Wallendas misses a Wallenda event.
As dentists around the globe covered their eyes, the mother-of-three performed 10 minutes' worth of stunts while dangling from a hoop hooked up to a helicopter. According to USA Today, Erendira wore a safety harness around her waist in order to comply with a New York state law that requires such measures for performers "more than 20 feet in the air."
Just how high up was Erendira? 300 feet, 50 feet higher than where her husband set the Guinness World Record in 2011 by also hanging from his teeth.
"If a guy can do it, a girl can do it, too," she said afterwards.
Erendira comes from a long line of aerialists on both sides of her family, while Nic hails from the famous "Flying Wallendas" troupe, dating back to the 1940s. Though daredevil acts have made the Wallendas famous, they are not without tragedy. Nic's great-grandfather, Karl, fell to his death during a stunt in 1978, and a seven-man pyramid collapsed during a performance at the 1962 Detroit State fair that left two dead and a third paralyzed.
Still, Nic continues to test the limits; the same month his teeth-dangling feat earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records, he successfully completed the high-wire crossing that killed his great-grandfather.
And yet, the "extremely painful" teeth-dangling stunt remains Nic's least favorite.
"It hurts really bad," Nic has said.
Anyhoo, congrats Erendira!