The 2007 World Championship of Public Speaking

Saturday, August 18th, 2007. Phoenix, Arizona, 9:00am local time. Outside, the mercury was nearing a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Inside, the air conditioning was doing all it could to combat the heat produced by some two thousand Toastmasters, gathered to witness history in the making.

I was seated on the seventh row of the center section of the ballroom. Who could ask for better seats? And it wasn’t just the view of the stage. You see, to my right were Ed Tate, Mark Brown, Randy Harvey, and Ed Hearn; to my left were Jim Key, Darren LaCroix, David Brooks, and Lance Miller. To witness the World Championship of Public Speaking while surrounded by past Champions … such good looking men ... no wonder it was so darn hot in that ballroom!

But before I get much further in this post, I have to stop for a much-needed disclaimer: what follows is my take on the contest. Not Jim’s. Mine. I don’t speak for Jim – he does that well enough on his own – these are my opinions, entirely and completely, for better or worse, and for whatever they’re worth. If you love them, hate them, take them or leave them … any credit or blame for the words that will follow is mine and mine alone. This is just one little redhead’s take on the ten speeches presented at the contest that Saturday morning. Got it? Good. Then let’s get started!

Speaker #1: Rory Vaden (Region V) - “Slam!”

Rory is the attractive, poised and charismatic young man who represented Region III at last year’s World Championship. He has since moved to Region V, and has obviously continued to polish his craft during this contest season. As the saying goes, Rory set the bar for the other contestants quite high as our first speaker.

Rory launched into his speech with his back to the audience, opening by saying, “Has anyone ever turned their back on you?” He continued with his introductory lines, concluding with, “How do you … turn it around?” only then pivoting to face us. It was an effective use of choreography that I’m sure made those “never turn your back on the audience” folks very uneasy. But that’s good; as W. Mitchell said, “unsettle your audience.”

Rory’s speech was well-crafted and well-delivered. “Polished” is an excellent word to describe it. It’s the same speech he used to compete at the Region III contest in the 2006 season; in it, he talks about his collegiate summer job as a door-to-door salesman of children’s books, and how often he was judged by the people who would answer the door and slam it in his face. (Hence, the title – “Slam!”)

Rory does an excellent job of incorporating humor into his speeches; he had a line – superbly delivered – about how he was the one who would interrupt telemarketers while they were eating dinner.

Rory talked about how, over time, he became embittered by how often he was being judged, and how he began to judge others in return. His turning point was a chance meeting with a disabled Vietnam Veteran that changed his outlook, and showed him how “compassion triumphs over judgment.”

Rory’s speech was truly a polished performance. It showcased his spot-on comedic timing, and I would not be surprised if Rory doesn’t have a background – or a future – in some sort of theatre. His speech held a meaningful message, and spotlighted a crisp delivery.

Speaker #2: J.A. Gamache (Region VI) - “Look Beyond the Clouds”

I will admit to a huge amount of partiality toward J.A., as evidenced by my previous blog postings about him. He’s been a very good friend to Jim for years, ever since they competed together in the 2001 Championship. But I also had a chance to get to visit with J.A. on Wednesday afternoon, out by the swimming pool… when he asked Jim some advice on his speech. On that day, I heard the back-story on his speech, and I understood that this was not just a speech – it was a love poem for his wife, Sylvie.

J.A. opened by asking, “Do you know someone who is just too optimistic?” He talked about his father, and told us a story about his Papa taking him on a walk to the park on a rainy afternoon. His father told him that the sun was shining, and when J.A. argued, his father insisted that the sun was shining – above the clouds. You just needed to learn to look beyond the clouds.

J.A. went on to tell us about competing in speech contests, and the bitter taste of defeat … only to meet the woman of his dreams. As J.A. said, “A gloomy defeat reveals a glittering diamond when you look beyond the clouds.” He goes on to marry Sylvie, and as he dances around the stage singing, you get a sense of just how very in love they are.

Then, three years ago, Sylvie is diagnosed with breast cancer. And J.A. was devastated. He told us about how Sylvie was insistent that she did not have cancer – she had A cancer – and that cancer did NOT have her. “Brrrrr!” He shuddered. “I would not like to be that cancer!”

He went on to talk about how they don’t know if they’re going to win the battle, but it has changed their entire outlook on life. They’ve learned to look beyond the clouds, and that Sylvie is his sunshine. Ah, I know I’m mangling this, and I’m tearing up just typing this … suffice to say, you’ll have to see the speech on video. It was an amazing, loving tribute to his wife, and a superb message to us all – that none of us know how much time we have, so we should make the most of every moment we have right here and right now.

J.A. moved me to tears. It was obvious just how much he enjoyed his time on-stage. And as he shared with me out by the pool on Wednesday, trophy or not, he was going to win just by having those seven-and-a-half minutes on stage … after all, there was at least one person in the audience who needed to hear his message!

Speaker #3: Douglas Kruger (DNAR) - “I Need Help”

This was Douglas’s third time on the “big stage”; if you’ve seen him before, you’ll remember him for his amazing speaking voice. He’s from South Africa, and aside from his delightfully delicious accent, he also has an extremely deep, resonant speaking voice. And it’s his normal speaking register. It just begs to be used for something huge like radio (which is his day job back at home) or theatre or the World Championship of Public Speaking!

Douglas’s speech opened by asking if the mere idea of “self improvement” has become a cliché … a concept which I absolutely loved. Then, he built a beautiful metaphor about being in a place of hurt, of pain, a place in utter darkness … like a boxer in a darkened ring, swinging wildly and landing no punches … “What if just by asking for help you could turn your light back on?”

The whole point of Douglas’s speech was that “the greatest show of strength is having the courage to say ‘I need help.’” He told us a story about a man who lost his wife, and – I absolutely loved the picture he painted with these words – “it was as if his heart had been ripped in half, and he’d been left with the smaller piece”. The man fell back on a bad habit … he drank … and he drank until he forgot. He drank until his children were taken away. He drank until he lost everything. And finally, when he hit rock-bottom, he asked for help.

“Real power, real progress, real potential comes from surrender. To own it, you have to ask for it.” Douglas then told us this man is his future father-in-law – he’ll be married to Vanessa in just three weeks time – and her father will be there to walk her down the aisle… all because he found the strength to ask for help.

I was utterly blown away by the passionate conviction Douglas showed us on Saturday morning. It was obvious just how much he believed in the message he shared with us that day. Some of the imagery was amazing – a heart ripped in two, and being left with the smaller half … a boxer swinging in a darkened ring – and it’s clear that he is an extremely strong speaker. Combined with that voice of his, I have to tell you, I’d pay good money to hear him speak any day of the week!

Speaker #4: Shannon Hills (Region III) - “Oprah Time”

Shannon is from District 25, the “Sister District” to my home District, D50. They’re right next door, on the Ft. Worth side of the Metroplex, and she’s now even a member of the same advanced club I am – Park Central Toastmasters. Which is pretty darn cool!

Shannon’s speech hinged on an Oprah Winfrey quotation that is meaningful to her family, having to do with the idea that you should set aside time to do that which truly fulfills you. Her family calls that time “Oprah Time,” in honor of that quote. She talked about being on the “fast track” at work, and that earning her a doctor’s appointment and an EKG.

Wait until you see the video; the way in which Shannon plops down in the chair when she says that is absolutely delightful! She’s got such a sense of physicality, and so much of her personality comes through in her physical delivery.

Shannon went on to talk about visiting her father in the hospital when he went in for testing, to make sure he ate his lunch, and deciding to stay with him to watch a football game. She ended up staying for hours, curling up in bed with him, and napping on his chest. (Another moment to watch for on the video – check out how Shannon turns the chair into the hospital bed, just by the way she picks her feet up and “curls up” against her “father’s chest” – it’s amazing!)

Her father passed away that night … so Shannon’s choice to take the “Oprah Time” to be with him, rather than returning to work, was an immense blessing.

What I appreciated most about Shannon’s presentation is that this woman is clearly her own presenter. She’s not a clone of anyone else, not following anyone else’s formula or parroting anyone else’s technique. Instead, she is “genuinely Shannon” – and her speech both moved and inspired me!

Speaker #5: Jim Bussey (Region VIII) - “Boom!”

Jim is a well-spoken Southern gentleman (we found out in the interviews that he’s from Florida) and his speech centered around the idea of re-establishing bonds before it’s too late. Jim’s strength as a speaker seems to lie in the area of storytelling. We all got caught up in the tale of his brother – “Super Sam” – and the stunt the two of them pulled with a camera, a makeshift cape, and the top of the garden shed. Jim combined dialogue, word pictures, gestures, comedic timing, and even sound effects to create a humorous and heartwarming tale of two brothers doing something they ought not be doing … and about a single phone call that re-established a long-lapsed bond.

As Jim said in his conclusion … “If it’s not too late, don’t wait.”

Speaker #6: Robert Killen (Region I) - “Grandma at the Door”

I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the skillful writing of Robert Killen! I would not be surprised to learn that he’s an English teacher, or a journalist, or a novelist, or that somewhere in his background is some sort of formal training in writing … because his speech was an utter feast for the bibliophile in me.

His speech opened with a knock at the door, and being told it was his grandmother … and going to answer it, and recalling the last visit, when he asked his grandmother where she’d like to sit, and she told him, “Oh, dear, you just do what you always do … put me somewhere out of the way.” Grandmothers, as he said, are so good to you … and the rest, is good FOR you (or something like that, I didn’t write quickly enough to get that jotted down).

But he lamented that he “had cast her to the margins of [his] life” – this woman who had taught him so much – what phenomenal writing!

He went on to tell us three stories that illustrated three lessons she had taught him: to laugh abundantly, listen well, and live fully. In his conclusion, he said that these lessons we’ve learned from our mentors, their place is front and center, not placed in the margins. Love is made of memories, both bitter and sweet. And he ended his speech by walking his grandmother through that front door.

This is another one you’ll have to see on the video so you can savor the writing – this man is a master with the pen!

Speaker #7: Bryant Pergerson (Region II) - “What Really Matters Is…”

I have to say I was tickled by Bryant’s choice of titles. You see, when Jana introduced him by reading his name, title, title, and name, she then ended by saying, “… What Really Matters Is … Bryant Pergerson!” Sort of smart, if you ask me!

Bryant’s speech was focused on the idea of mentorship. He talked about Albert Einstein, and the man who served as his mentor when Einstein was a kid… the idea that you don’t have to be a genius yourself to mentor Einstein. Then, he talked about his own mentor – his Physics teacher who was also his Boyscout leader … who was also his father. And he talked about trying to be a mentor for his own son.

The Pergerson formula, as he put it, is M C squared equals E – or mentor times coaching plus confidence equals enlightenment. A cute reversal of Einstein’s theory of relativity.

Bryant used lightbulbs and a glass wastebasket as effective props – you’ll have to see the video to understand; it’s a little hard to explain – but my favorite line of all came when he was talking about all the excuses we have for not mentoring. He ran down the list – “I’m too busy, too old, too young, too this, too that” – “Take off your excuse tu-tu!” And as he says it, he pantomimes taking off a ballerina’s tu-tu … it was priceless! It got a huge laugh, and was very effective.

Speaker #8: Vikas Jhingran (Region VII) - “The Swami’s Question”

Vikas began his speech by pulling an envelope out of his jacket pocket and saying that the “answer was inside”. It was a letter from MIT, and it was either going to begin with “Congratulations!” or “You’ve got to be kidding!” Big laugh from the audience…

He then slid the envelope back inside his jacket, and began telling us a story about his life back in India. When he was young, he was not a good student, so after trying everything else, in complete desperation, his parents took him to see the Swami. The word pictures Vikas painted were exquisitely brilliant – it was a section of the city that was so old, where the buildings were so close together that they’d never seen sunlight … the Swami wore saffron-colored robes stained with sweat … you could see, feel, and smell the scene as Vikas told his story.

Vikas used his accent to great effect during his speech! He does have an Indian accent, but he speaks slowly and clearly enough that his English is clearly understood. But when imitating his mother, he thickened his accent, and he had the audience laughing hysterically!

The Swami’s answer was “meditation” – so he went home to meditate. Which apparently made him very cool at school! But, unfortunately, when he tried to meditate, it just made him fall asleep. But somewhere along the way, his grades improved, he went off to college, and discovered … girls! And then came his first semester grades, and he was crushed.

Vikas made himself so very vulnerable on-stage, and told us about how he went back to the words of the Swami, and retreated back into himself, to “listen to the song of his dreams, the music of his talents, the symphony of his soul” … his grades improved … and he discovered the answer was inside all along ...

Inside the envelope, that is! Talk about a callback – wow! He pulled the envelope out of his pocket. “The answer wasn’t in a pill, or in Dr. Phil,” – which earned a HUGE roar from the audience – the answer was inside him all along.

We were all absolutely blown away by this young man!

Speaker #9: Mark Hunter (DNAR) - “Face to Face, Eye to Eye, Heart to Heart”

You need a little bit of background on Mark Hunter before I tell you about his speech. He’s from Australia – Brisbane, if I heard him correctly – and he’s been to the Championships before. (In fact, he’s part of the “Class of 2001” … but more about that later.) Mark was paralyzed in a waterskiing accident some years back, and delivers his speeches quite skillfully from a wheelchair. Ever seen a speaker gesture while doing 20mph? This guy can!

Now, you need that background because Mark’s speech centered around the idea of “See me, the person, not this, the thing.” He told us a story about going to a dentist’s office, and an interaction he had with a young mother and her son.

Mark talks about his wheelchair with such wicked good humor … he says that while most people go into a dentist’s office looking for a seat, he just needs a parking space. And as he settled in, this young woman looked up from “the well-fingered pages of a waiting-room magazine” and spotted his wheelchair, and never made it any farther than that before she nervously looked away.

Her son, on the other hand, looked right at Mark. So Mark looked back and smiled. So the boy smiled back. So Mark winked. And the boy winked back. (And that’s one you’ve got to see on the video, my friends! Absolutely hilarious…)

And then the boy blurts out, “Hey, mister – do you sleep in that thing?”

His mother is horrified, and smacks her son, but Mark doesn’t miss a beat – he transfers over to a waiting room chair, and invites the boy to “try it out!” So the boy does, and while he’s snoring quite loudly, the boy’s mother meets Mark’s eyes – face to face, eye to eye, heart to heart – and is finally able to see him, the person, not that wheelchair, the thing.

It was a beautiful, heartwarming story – expertly told!

Speaker #10: Rich Breiner (Region IV) - “The Sting of the Blade”

The final speaker to take the stage was a third-time competitor on the “big-stage,” Rich Breiner. And he opened with a line that absolutely rocked the audience with laughter: “As the tenth speaker, I feel a bit like Zsa Zsa Gabor’s tenth husband … on their wedding night. I feel like I know what to do, but I’m not so sure I can make it interesting.”

It was a risky opening comment, but I got the feeling that Rich was out there to have fun and deliver a message, not so much to walk away with the trophy. (On a side note: I was later told this was a line Rich used during the interview his second trip to the Championship. It’s also cited as a line Senator John McCain used in Cedar Rapids, Iowa back in February, which was noted as an old line from stand-up circa Ronald Reagan.)

After the raucous laughter died down, Rich spun us a story filled with self-deprecating humor … about how he never allowed his personal failures to stop him from pursuing a life of success. He never allowed the “sting of the blade” to keep him from pushing forward. His humor was well-received by the audience – at one point, he told us that he graduated in the third of the class that made the upper two-thirds possible – so you’ll definitely enjoy catching it on video!

And his overall message was spot-on: don’t allow failures to stop you from pursuing your dreams. You never know where you might end up.

So, friends, there you have it: my recap of the 2007 World Championship of Public Speaking. It wound up being quite a bit longer than I had intended, and I'm certain I've not even come close to doing these speeches justice.

But it's my hope that this will help somewhat fill the gap of the next 6-8 weeks, or however long it takes Bill Stephens Productions to get the contest video into our eager little hands.

And now, I’ll get to work on processing photos from the contest … you’ll see those soon!

Comments

[Karim]

This is a nice website and I would like to join it

[Abel Goddard]

Chantaal, go to http:\\www.billspro.com to order a DVD of the contest.

-Abel

[Chantaal Lebay]

How do I get the video?
The speeches sound wonderful.
Thanks,
Chantaal