Omg: The Nigerian plane-crash Survivor, Kechi Performs “Conqueror” For “America’s Got Talent” Finals and got the judges wow

Kechi performed “Conqueror” for the “America’s Got Talent” season 12 finals on Tuesday.

Kechi will likely go down as the year’s most inspiring contestant, and quite possibly one of the most inspiring contestants in the history of the NBC talent competition. As a teen, she was one of two people to survive a plane crash that killed more than 100 others, including all of her classmates. Though severely injured with burns throughout her body, she had a miraculous recovery. And she’s explained that her journey on “AGT” is in honor of those parents who will never get to see their own children succeed.

For last week’s semifinals, Kechi sang “Don’t Worry About Me” in honor of her mom, who was initially told her daughter was dead in the aftermath of the fatal aviation accident. Mel B cried throughout the performance, and Howie Mandel admitted he was “speechless” afterward. Simon Cowell also told the aspiring star, “It was your best performance by a clear mile… It was a magic, magic moment.” Now for her last performance, Kechi was magical and inspirational once more.

In her pre-taped opening, a mother of two of the plane victims said that nearly 12 years later, Kech has “become a symbol of hope and survival.” She added to Kechi, “You are not alone. Sixty angels [her classmates] are cheering you on.” The singer then sang “Conqueror.” The meaningful lyrics include, “I’d rather stand tall/Than live on my knees/’Cause I’m a conqueror/And I won’t accept defeat/Try telling me no/One thing about me/Is I am a conqueror.” All of the judges gave an ovation, after which Cowell said, “Kechi, I just love you. Everything about you. That wasn’t a song. That was an anthem.” He added, “You’ve become an artist, not a contestant… And the night you needed to do it, you just did it.”

“I can only agree with Simon,” Heidi Klum said. “I love you too. I love the performance you did.” She noted that after five years on the show, “I’ve seen a lot of people come and go, but you I will never forget.” Mandel told Kechi that life is about choices. He then said, “This song was the perfect choice. But ultimately, you made the choice to survive… You inspire the world, so much more than this contest.” Mel added, “I’m so happy that you walked onto that stage and entered this show. You have inspired so many people.” She further called the performance “so powerful and so moving.”