America’s Got Talent crowned another winner for season 13. The Canadian born self-taught magician Shin Lim was called “the best close-up magician they have ever seen” by judges Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell. Heidi Klum also felt entranced by his magic “You’re the only one that makes me believe that magic is possible.” Who is Shin Lim?
Who is Shin Lim? America’s Got Talent 2018 winner
Shin Lim wowed the judges and audience from the start with his impressive slight of hand. Lim learned a lot of his tricks by watching YouTube and practiced constantly to perfect his tricks. Before AGT Lim appeared on the popular magician competition Penn & Teller: Fool Us, in 2015 and 2017. He also traveled overseas to France, Germany, Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan New Zealand, Scandinavia and Singapore.
During the show’s run, Lim impressed both viewers at home and the judges, but Simon Cowell gave him some advice that helped him seal the deal for the finale. “After the quarterfinals, he told me I needed to get away from the (card) table, to move away from being small and get bigger,” Lim told USA Today. “That kind of stayed in my brain. And I’m thinking, ‘I’ve got to try something bigger if I’m going to do well on this show.'”
For his final performance performed a card trick with host Tyra Banks and American Ninja Warrior co-hosts Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbaja-Biamila.
The card magician is still in disbelief that he was crowned America’s Got Talent 2018 winner. The road to success has not been easy for him, Lim had to give up a career as a pianist after he was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome due to an injury to his thumb tendons. After he was injured, he had to choose between his two passions. Lim picked magic but still had to put it on hold while he recovered. “Most of my magic is with my hands, so I had to cancel everything. It was devastating. I felt like my career was over,”
“When you told me at 16 that an awkward, shy kid would one day be performing at the Dolby Theatre performing on America’s Got Talent, I wouldn’t have believed them. To compete on AGT, it means the world to me.” Lim is the second magician to win in the series; Matt Franco was the first winning the ninth season.
Before the finale, Shin Lim spoke about what he was planning with the $1 million prize if he won. “It might be a weird answer, but I am not going to do anything,” he said. “I am going to go with my life as normal, and I will save or invest it. But I will not spend it. I am a pretty stingy guy, and I never spend money. Now I don’t spend money so I won’t spend this.” After this big win no one will be asking: Who is Shin Lim?
