Meet the 9-Year-Old Opera Singer and AGT Finalist Who Is the 8th Child of 11: 'So Blessed'
Victory Brinker stole the hearts of people around the country earlier this year when she finished as a finalist on season 16 of America's Got Talent.
The 9-year-old received the first-ever group golden buzzer and went on to make it to the Top 10 — but what most people don't realize is Victory is rather comfortable with that number, as she has ten siblings in her family.
And now, in honor of the release of her new EP "The Wonder of Christmas", Victory and her mom Christine are opening up about their family's remarkable journey.
"She's been dreaming of being on America's Got Talent since she was four or five," Christine tells PEOPLE (the TV Show!) on Monday's episode. "She used to have us sit in the living room and pretend we were the judges."
Christine Brinker Victory Brinker
Never lacking an audience, Victory grew up with six brothers and four sisters.
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"It's so much fun, there's always someone to play with," Victory says. "We always have lots of games, even though we lose most of the pieces because we have a big family."
The amazing journey started with the Brinkers welcoming two biological children before they adopted nine more. The kids currently range in age from 6 to 29.
"We've adopted a lot of medical-needs children," Christine explains. "We just put the paperwork out there and said, 'If there's anyone that knows of a child that has a need, and we'd certainly have the heart and the home for that child.'"
"Thankfully, today, we can say all of them but one has completely overcome the medical needs that they were born with," the mom continues. "We have three boys that were born with spina bifida, who've gone on to play basketball and run and jump and just be as healthy as can be, and that's been really miraculous in itself. Not only do we get to parent these children, but to watch them just thrive."
Christine Brinker Victory Brinker with her family
Though they've embraced their family of 13, Christine says she and her husband never expected to have 11 children, especially after the first seven were out of diapers.
"And then we were sitting in church and just had an overwhelming feeling placed on my heart that there was going to be another one and her name would be Victory," she recalls.
Five years later, the green-eyed baby girl with an unbelievable operatic voice was born — ironically, on the same day as her new father.
"We couldn't wait to get there and hold her," Christine explains. "Probably the most special time was when we brought her home to the rest of the family because the whole family had waited five years for this little baby who would be named Victory."
Christine Brinker Victory Brinker as a baby
RELATED: AGT: 9-Year-Old Singer Wins First-Ever All-Judges Golden Buzzer — 'Unprecedented,' Says Terry Crews
Years later, Victory's talent and love for singing would take her to AGT, where she made history as the first contestant to receive the judge's group golden buzzer.
"My heartbeats stomped, the waterworks started flowing, and I never thought that would happen," Victory recalls of the moment. "It was so awesome."
"I told her to just go out there and have so much fun," Christine adds. "Watching her sing on stage was absolutely amazing. And then, of course, it was a dream come true to get that special golden buzzer."
The 9-year-old is now promoting her new EP, which even features her three younger siblings in the music video for "Silent Night."
"It feels great, because I love Christmas music and I love Christmas and I love CDs," Victory says of her new album.
Christine Brinker Victory Brinker singing for her siblings
And though their lives are full, the Brinkers say they're still open to adopting more children.
"We're so blessed. We're so thankful," Christine says. "Sometimes I still say I have to pinch myself when I look at these children and I think I get to be their mom. And to think of all the different parts of the world and the countries that they've come from, and what they've overcome, and just the fact that call me mom is so shocking. Still such an overwhelming blessing."
"It's fun to watch these children come in and to know there's a legacy that we're leaving and that these children are going to go on and make a difference in other people's lives, and we can make a difference here," she adds. "And we just love having a large family."
Victory's EP "The Wonder of Christmas" can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, or the iTunes store here.
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