Kechi Okwuchi - Wikipedia

Nigerian-American singer and motivational speaker

Kechi Okwuchi
Born	(1989-10-29) October 29, 1989 (age 36)
Known for	America's Got Talent Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 survivor

Kechi Okwuchi (born October 29, 1989) is a Nigerian-American singer and motivational speaker.[1] She was one of the two survivors in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash on December 10, 2005, and a finalist at the twelfth season of America's Got Talent in 2017.[2]

Sosoliso plane crash

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Okwuchi was one of the two survivors in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash on December 10, 2005, that claimed 107 lives, 59 of which were her school mates from Loyola Jesuit College. She received third degree burns over 65% of her body and was given a 30% chance of survival.[3]

Okwuchi was air-lifted to Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa for immediate medical attention and treatment,[4] and later to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston, Texas, United States where she has undergone over a hundred reconstructive surgeries.[5][6]

Life after plane crash

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In 2015, Okwuchi graduated from the University of Saint Thomas, in Houston, Texas, United States, with a First Class Degree. She was the student speaker at the Commencement Ceremony.[7]

Okwuchi was a speaker at TedxEuston where she gave a talk titled Girls- know thyself.[8] Kechi later went on to take part in the twelfth season of America's Got Talent in 2017 as a singer, and finished the competition as a finalist.[2] She later participated in America's Got Talent: The Champions in 2019, where Simon Cowell gave her the golden buzzer, sending her straight to the final, but in the final she didn't come in the top 5. She has performed at sporting events and other events throughout the United States, South Korea and Nigeria.[3] Okwuchi was chosen to headline Utah's 8th Annual Women of Worth Utah in 2019.[9]

Okwuchi was a participant in an National Institutes of Health and Department of Defense-funded study by the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to develop a Burn Survivor Heat Risk Calculator, which helps burn survivors assess their heat risk during physical activity, offering recommendations based on location, activity level, and surface area of burns.[10]

References

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1. ^ "Kechi Okwuchi". www.espeakers.com. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
2. ^ a b "VIDEO: Sosoliso crash survivor, Kechi, stuns crowd at America's Got Talent finals". Punch Newspapers. September 20, 2017. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
3. ^ a b Ryan Bergeron (28 June 2019). "'America's Got Talent' finalist proves there is life after tragedy". CNN. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
4. ^ "Crash Survivor in S/African Hospital, Mother Speaks[permanent dead link]," This Day
5. ^ "Enter the Den 2007-2008 [dead link]," Loyola Jesuit College
6. ^ promptnewsonline (2018-02-05). "Kechi Okwuchi, Sosoliso crash survivor on 'Thank You' visit to SPDC". Prompt News. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
7. ^ "Fulfilled Promise – a Plane Crash Survivor Graduates". The National Herald. 2015-06-13. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
8. ^ Girls - know thyself | Kechi Okwuchi | TEDxEuston, 29 December 2015, retrieved 2019-08-24
9. ^ Curtis, Larry D. (2019-08-21). "Airline crash survivor Kechi Okwuchi featured at Women of Worth gala". KJZZ. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
10. ^ Valero, Myriam Vidal (2025-10-07). "Texas Researchers Make A Heatstroke Calculator for Burn Victims". The Xylom. Retrieved 2025-10-07.

v t e America's Got Talent
Seasons	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Winners	Bianca Ryan Terry Fator Neal E. Boyd Kevin Skinner Michael Grimm Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Olate Dogs Kenichi Ebina Mat Franco Paul Zerdin Grace VanderWaal Darci Lynne Shin Lim Kodi Lee Brandon Leake Dustin Tavella Mayyas Adrian Stoica and Hurricane Richard Goodall Jessica Sanchez
Runners-up	Cas Haley Bárbara Padilla Jackie Evancho Tom Cotter Taylor Williamson Emily West Drew Lynch The Clairvoyants Angelica Hale Zurcaroh Chris Turner
Third place	Butterscotch Nuttin' But Stringz Recycled Percussion Team iLuminate Oz Pearlman Jon Dorenbos Light Balance Josh Blue Drake Milligan
Othernotablecontestants	Finalists Rappin' Granny Taylor Ware The Passing Zone Julienne Irwin Kaitlyn Maher Grandma Lee The Texas Tenors Prince Poppycock Anna Graceman POPLYFE Smage Brothers Riding Shows West Springfield High School David Garibaldi and His CMYK's Branden James Cami Bradley Collins Key Forte Mike Super Sons of Serendip Piff the Magic Dragon The Professional Regurgitator Brian Justin Crum Laura Bretan Sofie Dossi Tape Face Diavolo Evie Clair Kechi Okwuchi Mandy Harvey Preacher Lawson Courtney Hadwin Glennis Grace Vicki Barbolak Emanne Beasha V.Unbeatable Archie Williams Bad Salsa Daneliya Tuleshova Brooke Simpson Léa Kyle Gina Brillon Northwell Nurse Choir Victory Brinker Chapel Hart Mike E. Winfield Sara James 82nd Airborne Division Ahren Belisle Putri Ariani Ramadhani Brothers Learnmore Jonasi Leo High School Choir Semi-finalists Alexis Jordan Caitlyn Taylor Love Corina Brouder George Komsky Kevin Johnson King Charles Troupe Michelle L'amour Team Acrodunk Kevin James ZOOperstars! EriAm Sisters Alice Tan Ridley ArcAttack Haspop MURRAY Melissa Villaseñor Professor Splash John Wing Jr. Marty Brown Red Panda Dan Naturman Jonah Smith Wendy Liebman Samantha Johnson The Passing Zone Colin Cloud Johnny Manuel Mike Yung Angel City Chorale Us the Duo Chris Kläfford Jackie Fabulous Marcin Patrzalek Robert Finley Jonathan Goodwin Madilyn Bailey Michael Winslow Don McMillan Travis Japan SAINTED Trap Choir Steel Panther Zion Clark Alex Sampson Pranysqa Mishra Quarter-finalists Bruce Block Derrick Barry Flambeaux Indiggo Shequida Hall Mosaic Thia Megia Lindsey Stirling The Strange Familiar Geechy Guy Squonk Opera Jake Wesley Rogers Melinda Hill Rudy Coby Between Friends Brad Byers Jim Meskimen Anna Clendening One Voice Children's Choir The Willis Clan Freckled Sky Myq Kaplan Julia Scotti Ryan Stock & AmberLynn Sos and Victoria Bello Nock Puddles Pity Party The Singing Trump Flau'jae Rob Lake The Sacred Riana Berywam Charlotte Summers Marina Mazepa The Sentimentalists Michael Yo Sheldon Riley Gangstagrass Keith Apicary Klek Entos Storm Large Erica Rhodes Liv Warfield Los Osos High School Maya Neelakantan Menudo Oscar Stembridge The Reklaws Tonikaku Boston Dynamics, Inc. Crash Adams Girish and the Chronicles Jonglissimo Tom Sandoval
Related	America's Got Talent: The Champions 1 2 America's Got Talent: Extreme America's Got Talent: All-Stars America's Got Talent: Fantasy League

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