By Lillie Jaenchen
AMERICA’S GOT TALENT just crowned Jessica Sanchez its Season 20 winner!
The 30-year-old and expecting mom first competed on the show 20 years ago when she was 10. Then, she made it to the semifinals before being eliminated.
This season, she performed all the way through while pregnant with her first, a daughter she and her husband, Rickie Gallardo, plan to name Eliana.
Related: Expecting Mom and AGT Finalist Proclaims ‘My Identity Is in Christ’
“My heart is overflowing with gratitude for all the love and kind words that have been pouring in,” she wrote in the caption of a Sept. 14 Instagram post. “I never imagined I’d be spending these final weeks of pregnancy away from home, in the middle of such an exciting competition. I truly believe God’s plan is greater than my own. This journey has been so unexpected, yet so beautiful, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Sanchez auditioned for Season 20 with Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things,” earning her a Golden Buzzer from judge Sofia Vergara.
But performing while pregnant certainly came with challenges.
“This year, I just felt this immense peace, like, I’m ready to do this. I took the leap and found out that I was pregnant a couple days later, but it didn’t really hinder me from wanting to take that next step back on that stage,” Sanchez told TV Insider. “If anything, it kind of motivated me a little bit because I’m like, now I get to do this with my daughter. It’s like a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
“Preparing vocally, typically your breathing and stuff gets affected when you’re pregnant, but as far as I’ve been preparing, it hasn’t really been affected tremendously and I’m so thankful for that…” she added. “Even if my voice does get a little impacted from the pregnancy, I’m excited to challenge myself on that stage.”
Her faith has carried her all the way through.
“Being 10 years old on AGT played such a massive role in me believing in something bigger for myself, for my voice. What a huge blessing it is to be able to come back and chase after my dreams again after 20 years. Can’t wait to see what God has in store for me,” she posted before the season premiere in May.
“My identity is in Christ, and that’s what has kept me steady through all of this,” she added in an interview with The Christian Post last week. “No matter the outcome, I remind myself this is His will, not mine. That’s the only way I’ve been able to do this.”
Congratulations to Sanchez! We can’t wait to see what God has planed for her next.
Read Next: Singer Thrilled to Compete on AMERICA’S GOT TALENT While Pregnant: ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’
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