[Music] Toastmasters and guests. It is my
pleasure to welcome International President-Elect, Distinguished Toastmaster Richard E. Peck! Welcome to the World Championship of Public
Speaking! Thank you for joining us for this virtual event. Though you cannot see those
watching with you today, you are one of tens of thousands of Toastmasters members and guests
viewing from around the world. There are people following the competition on social media,
and if you'd like to join the conversation, use the hashtag #TIUGlobalConnect2020. This is one of Toastmaster's most exciting
events! Eight of our most talented Toastmasters are here to compete for the title of 2020
Toastmaster World Champion of Public Speaking. For these finalists, it has been nearly a
year-long process. The International Speech Contest begins with more than 30,000 members
competing at the club level and culminates in the semifinals. All 2020 International
Speech Contest participants accepted an additional challenge when the contest was moved online
part way through the contest cycle. Like true Toastmasters, they have demonstrated flexibility
and adaptability. On Tuesday and Wednesday, 28 semifinalists represented their regions
in an attempt to make it to the ultimate speaking competition—the World Championship. Today's
contestants are: Aaron Sampson, Lindy MacLaine, Linda-Marie Miller, Benjamin Wayo, Sherwood
Jones, Maureen Zappala, Mike Carr, Kwong Yue Yang. Since 1938, Toastmasters has recognized
79 World Champions. A list recognizing all who have earned this title is provided on
the Virtual Convention agenda page. Now join me in welcoming our contest chair for this
event—First Vice President, Distinguished Toastmaster Margaret Page. Bonjour, good morning, good afternoon, good
evening, depending on where you are watching from. Welcome. What an inspiration it has
been to have all of you here today at one of our most anticipated events. Thank you
for joining us virtually to cheer on our talented contestants. Today we are making history.
We have more Toastmasters and guests watching live from around the world than any other
time in our history. This provides an exciting and much deserved opportunity for our contestants’
words of wisdom and message of hope for a better tomorrow to spread and have impact
around the world. For the first time in Toastmasters history, everyone in attendance has a front
row seat to this exciting contest. If you would like to relive the excitement of today's
contest, you can stream it again on the Toastmasters International website. Please keep in mind
that each contestant selects their own speech topic. Some of the content may be personal
in nature and can change language, ideas, or beliefs that some audiences may consider
sensitive. This is the world's preeminent speaking competition and in order to ensure
fairness to all contestants, there are a few rules that must be followed. When a contestant
is speaking, all other contestants will remain muted with cameras off. We will observe one
minute of silence between each contestant, so please be respectful of this courtesy.
Are the timers ready? Yes. Chief judge, are we ready to proceed? Yes. Let the speech contest
begin. Aaron Sampson, “The Role You're Meant to
Play.” “The Role You're Meant to Play.” Aaron Sampson. I was three years old going to preschool.
My teacher was encouraging creative play and while the other kids were painting, I was
pouring dirt in my mouth, imagining a chocolate milkshake. After school that day, I held my
mom's hand as my teacher pulled my mom aside and told her, “I don't know how to tell
you this, but Aaron is a mentally challenged child.” My mom was concerned. She rushed
me to the doctor. The doctor took her concerns very seriously. After lots of questions, lots
of tests, he said, “I think I know what's going on here.” He wrote a prescription,
handed it to my mom. It said, “Find a new teacher.” Contest chair, friends. After
that prescription, my mom moved me to a new school. She looked me in the eye and said,
“you're gonna be a big thinker,” but I was a confused kid and told people I’m gonna
be a big drinker. As I got older, I wanted to find my role in life, but how do you find
the role you're meant to play? I proudly say I’m an artist. That's my role. I move to
Hollywood and write a play; I perform this play for huge crowds in old age homes. After
one show, I meet a lonely and blunt 86 year old named Dr. Joe. Dr. Joe pokes me and says,
“I could hear you. Great show.” Dr. Joe and I become close friends and I care for
him like he's my own grandpa. I record his life story, he teaches me how to set life
goals, and tells me you should audition for movie roles, but the only roles in my life
are the bread rolls that I serve as a waiter. After 10 long years of rejection, I still
call myself an artist, but I feel like a failure and I’m told to find a new role by both
my heart and my wallet. So I go to MBA school to become a businessman. That's my new role.
After school, I land a job as a manager and what's the first thing I do? Make my business
cards. What better way to show my role? I work hard, set life goals, get a few promotions,
people start asking me for career advice. I mentor a struggling, young student named
Lucy. Lucy is not sure what to do with her life, so I coach her to set life goals. Lucy
works hard and she becomes the first in her family to go to college. She tells me you
taught me how to find my dream role, but when it comes to my life, there's always a bigger
role. At a networking event, I say I’m a director. Someone else says I’m a VP. I
say I’m an MBA, someone else says I’m a DTM. I’m not one of those. In fact, I’m
not a lot of things and instead of feeling good about what I am, I feel bad about what
I’m not. Do you ever feel that your role isn't enough? I tell myself I have a wife,
I have three kids, I’m a family man. Of course that's my role back at the networking
event. Someone asked me what do you do. I say I’m a dad and she says that's great.
Do you do that full time and I say no. I’m also a husband and then she looks at me like
I’m a little weird. I’m just trying to find a role that I can feel proud of then
one day I’m at the park with my family, playing trains in the sand with my little
three-year-old boy Cooper. I asked my wife, “Honey, why do you love me? Is it because
I’m a dad, a husband, a bread winner?” My wife gazes in my eyes and she says, “who
said I love you?” Then she says I love you because you care for others and because you're
weird. I turn to my son, Cooper, “what about you bud? Why do you love me?” He says, “I
love you play trains” and then he picks up two fistfuls of sand throws them in the
air and shouts it's snowing. And as I gently brush the snow out of Cooper's eyes and mouth,
I remember my chocolate milkshake days and I realize it's not about what roles I play.
It's about how I play with others. Whether I’m with Dr. Joe, Lucy, or Cooper, I’m
caring, imaginative, and a little weird. Fellow Toastmasters, I’ve learned my role is not
the parts I perform, not the titles on my card. It's how I shall care for others that's
the role I’m meant to play. What role can you play in others lives? Maybe you know a
lonely old guy like Dr. Joe, or a struggling young student like Lucy, or a dirt eating
three-year-old like me? How can you show care? Because when you show care for others, others
show care for you, and you can proudly say you found the role you're meant to play. One minute of silence for the judges please.
Lindy MacLaine, “Your Buried Story.” “Your Buried Story,” Lindy MacLaine. It's six o'clock in the morning. After a sleepless,
overnight flight, I’m standing on the arrivals curb in the Orlando, Florida airport. My heart
is in my throat, my stomach doing flip-flops. The consequences of having told my buried
story are coming at me like a freight train. Contest chair, fellow toastmasters. It's your
fault. You created the incubator in which I told my buried story and came face to face
with my regrets. My friend, there is a story that you never tell anyone because you're
afraid they'll find out the truth and think less of you. That is your buried story. At
17 years old, I returned to the U.S. after an indescribable year as an exchange student
in Peru. I had my two duffel bags, a second language, and a second family back in Peru.
Mom, dad, I’m home. Did you miss me? “Lindy, your father and I are separating.” If you've
been through a family crisis, you know how everything else falls away. No one wanted
to hear from me. I swallowed my Peruvian year whole. I shoved my story deep down inside.
I left home for college, I buried my story for years because I didn't know any different.
A couple of intense years passed, my parents decided to mend their marriage. Now I could
focus on my other family. The occasional letter I’d been sending to Peru came back marked
return to sender. I had no other address, no telephone number, no way to track them.
I had lost touch with my second family. The truth is I did not try hard enough to find
them. Beside my buried story, I planted a seed of regret that over the years would grow
into a vicious weed. A few years ago as a fairly new Toastmaster in my quest for speech
material, I heard a little voice. Tell your story. What? Not that story. No way. Well,
but I’m not telling all of it. I don't want them to know I’m guilty of losing touch.
I told a few vignettes from my life changing here in Peru. People actually laughed. Okay,
I’ll tell my story. Have you used toastmasters to develop a single story? Have you told it
again and again, receiving feedback, revising? Have you surrendered to that process like
clay in the hands of a sculptor? I did and I received treasure beyond measure. My Peruvian
family came alive again in my mind. My mother, meet my American daughter. She sings soprano
and she dances ballet. My father, “Lindy, buenas diaz, no. Buenos dias.” Marilu thirteen,
“La Bamba. It’s Lindy.” Dante, 12, adorable. He could conquer the world with a
twinkle in his eye. Little Talia, she expressed her feelings for me as only a six-year-old
can. Baby Gonzalito, big brown eyes, just learning to walk. The memories poured in and
my heart grew my regrets went wild. What had happened to these people that I loved? Why
had I let go? I felt sad, sorry, ashamed, guilty. Feeling all of that, I finally did
what I should have done ages ago. I began to look for them. First stop, that website
that you use to find lost people. You know, Facebook. I found my sister Marilu first.
Do you know there is something eternal about voices? I wish I had words to tell you what
it was like picking up my phone and hearing her voice, as if you were still 13. Marilu,
“Lindy, it's really you.” We talked and we talked. It turns out in difficult times,
the entire family had left Peru and they were now living in Orlando, Florida, only six hours
away from me by plane. I’m standing on the arrivals curb at the Orlando, Florida airport.
My heart, my stomach. Will we still like each other? Will four days be way too long? The
consequences of telling my buried story are now pulling up to the curb. Out steps my Peruvian
mother. One look and tears. “you have not changed one bit.” Really, after 40 years,
she still loves me. I spent four unforgettable days reconnecting with my family. My parents,
Talia, Dante, Marilu, their six children, and of course baby Gonzalito. My friend, you
are the hero of this story. Without you, this platform, your encouragement, this life-changing
reunion would not have happened for me. The question is, hero, will you heed the call?
I told my buried story and I got a brand-new ending. What if when you tell your buried
story a new ending awaits? Tell your buried story. Tell your story. Contest chair. One minute of silence for the judges please. Linda-Marie Miller. “Pretending Not to Know.”
“Pretending Not to Know.” Linda-Marie Miller. If you're ready to change the world, but you
don't know how, I have the key. It's just a question but it's the most powerful question
in the world. The question is: what are you pretending not to know? That question changed
my life. What was I pretending not to know? I find out when I helped my friend Tony and
his son Michael. Michael was not your typical teenager. Once, he convinced his father to
let him bring a homeless boy into their house. Michael shared everything with that young
man and gave up his own bed until that boy got back on his feet. In college, Michael
excelled as a freshman. He tutored seniors in chemistry. He loved science. He loved science
so much, he enrolled his professors and fellow classmates into assisting him as he delivered
a science experiment for blind children so that they could experience the love of science
that he had. Michael was the whole package—a brilliant mind, a caring heart, a dutiful
son, and tony was so proud. then the phone call came. Michael is dead. Hit by a car 600
miles from home on a college field trip. I jumped into action to help my friend, tony,
who was too grief-stricken to even think about bringing Michael’s body home or planning
a funeral. I phoned the hospital who told me Michael’s body would not be released
until testing was completed. Testing for drugs, testing for alcohol, the police department
was called for a copy of the police report. Had the driver been drinking? Speeding? Talking
on their phone? The police said they talked to the woman that hit Michael and she said
she hadn't been drinking or speeding. They had no reason to doubt her. Using Tony’s
Airbnb account, I logged on to seek accommodations for the many family and friends that would
be arriving for the funeral. None of the reservations were accepted. Thinking there must be some
with something wrong with Tony’s account, I logged on using my Airbnb account and the
exact same properties were immediately accepted. What do you think is going on? How could this
be? This is my friend tony. I’ve been pretending not to know that i am a blonde haired, blue-eyed,
pale-skinned beneficiary of a system controlled by people that look like me. I live a life
of white privilege, while Tony has trouble seeking accommodations for his grieving family
members. I live a life of white privilege, while this amazing young boy on his way to
medical school is profiled, even after his death, suspected of drug use or being up to
no good for simply crossing the street. This amazing young man who once brought a homeless
boy into his house, a white homeless boy, his death dismissed based on the color of
his skin. The white woman that killed Michael wasn't tested for drugs or alcohol. She wasn't
even suspected of speeding even though she had a long history of speeding tickets. The
more I thought about it, the angrier I became. This is discrimination, this is racism. I
was comforted by the fact that I am not a racist. I have never discriminated against
anyone in my career. I have hired many amazing black people. When my son was young, his best
friend was black. Hey, I live in a very diverse neighborhood. All my neighbors are black and
they like me. I have never used a racial slur or told a racial joke in my entire life. I’ve
been pretending not to know that I am the problem. I remained silent when I saw racism
in my family for fear of being disinherited. I remained silent when I saw racism at work
for fear of not being promoted. I always blamed it on a broken system, but guess what? The
system is working exactly the way it was designed to. In exchange for my silence, the system
has made sure I don't have to worry about anything. I don't worry about someone wanting
to harm my son. I don't worry about being discriminated against at work. I don't worry
about being watched by security guards when I go shopping and I don't have to worry about
being shot if I am stopped by the police. My silence has benefited me at the expense
of others and I will remain silent no more. I now use my voice as an ally for and with
people of color. I am committed to helping create a system that works for everyone, not
just people that look like me. Look around look around at the world. Today, don't you
agree it's in need of a little change? Fellow Toastmasters, you have the most powerful voices
on the planet. Commit right here and now to create the change that you want to see in
the world. Let's create a world where there's no race, but the human race. One shared humanity.
All it takes is finding your truth and all that takes is one powerful question. So go
ahead ask yourself. Madam contest chair. One minute of silence for the judges please. Benjamin Wayo. “Poster Perfect.” “Poster
Perfect,” Benjamin Wayo. Have you ever fallen in love in your dreams
as a teenager? I had the most unforgettable dream about the most incredible girl. We were
sitting on a soft, white rug in a large room. I held her hand, she held my heart. We were
so in love. The only trouble was I couldn't see her face and didn't know what she looked
like. Strangely enough, I knew exactly what she felt like. She felt so good right here,
so I vowed that when I fall in love, it would be like my dream. It wouldn't matter what
she looked like. Tall, dark, short, thin, it would only matter what she felt like right
here. Have you ever felt something so strong here? Contest chair, my friends, despite having
such a powerful experience, something happened that made me forget my vow to my dream girl.
It was a day that I met the poster girl. Now this was in the 90s, the days of Michael Jackson,
Madonna, and Bobby Brown. Everyone wanted life-size posters of these celebrities. Did
you ever do that? My big brothers and I were not going to be left out so we went to the
store to get a poster for our bedroom wall and we all agreed that it must be a pop star.
All that changed when we arrived and I stood face to face with the picture of the most
beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. She was a supermodel with the most amazing
figure and an enchanting smile that seemed to say, “You know you want me.” “She
must be mine,” I announced. My brothers protested they wanted Michael Jackson, but
I was very convincing. “Please, please, oh please.” They gave me a yes. I made sure
that we placed her at the foot of my bed so that she'd be the first thing I saw in the
morning and the last thing at night and it wouldn't matter what part of the room I was
in. She would still be looking at me and I would say, “Oh, I see you too baby. I see
you.” Life was perfect. Poster perfect. Then the weirdest thing happened. One morning,
I woke up from that dream, took a long look at the face of my past, of perfect love, and
thought what in the world did I see in this woman? All the beauty that suddenly vanished.
Unbelievable. Ladies and gentlemen, it wasn't long before I began to paint a mustache under
her nose and whiskers on her cheeks. Not long after that, I destroyed her face and the poster
altogether. Funny, right? But this taught me something. You may fall for beauty, but
you're going to live with a person. You may fall in love with a beautiful face, but if
all she is is just a beautiful face, then you might just wake up one day and begin to
hurt the same person that you once proclaimed your dying love for. Though she was perfect,
she was incapable of evoking that special feeling right here. I remember my dream girl.
It didn't matter what she looked like. Remember what mattered was how she felt right here,
so I had to find her and search for her in every woman I met. Until one day, at a party,
I met this fine girl. She was hot—plus size poster perfect. But I didn't want another
poster girl on my hands, so I wanted to get to know her. So I did. One date after another
and I discovered that she was my dream girl. Why? Because she felt so good right here.
It wasn't in her face or her figure. No, it was in her laugh, her values, our disagreements,
the time spent apart, and the joy of coming back together again. We had that connection
and it only grew stronger and stronger. And her name is Julia, my amazing wife today.
My friends, you and I will continue to meet people that may become a part of our lives
for different reasons—for love, friendship, business, Toastmasters, it doesn't matter.
If these people look picture perfect, know what matters is who they are, what they stand
for, and what they do to us right here. Scientists say it takes about two years to fall out of
love with anyone, but after almost 20 years of knowing her, Julia is still my dream girl.
She's not a perfect poster on my wall. No, she's love pasted permanently on the walls
of my heart, right here. Contest chair. One minute of silence for the judges please. Sherwood Jones. “Things Have Changed.”
“Things Have Changed,” Sherwood Jones. All right children, gather round, gather around.
It’s story time once again. I know little Suzy was asking me about what life was like
when I was a young man. I think sometimes she doesn't think I was ever a young man.
Well sir, grandpa's gonna tell you. I, back a few years ago, was drop dead gorgeous, all
the way back in the year 2019. Well, I tell you things have changed. See back in the day,
life was very different. We had these big buildings with stages and lights and seats.
And then we'd have these things they call rock concerts and had all these crazy young
people in the seats jumping up and down like caffeinated jackrabbits. And we also had these
things that were called bowling alleys and movie theaters. Uh, that's kind of like watching
Netflix in a room with a lot of talkative strangers. Oh, things were definitely different.
We would do crazy things like we would shake hands and give each other hugs, and we didn't
have to walk around looking like surgeons, and we didn't have to walk around with a six-foot
bubble around us in all directions. Now things have changed. What's that Suzy? You're muted.
You have to hit that button in the lower left hand corner. Oh, oh, I see. Yes, I admit that
there have been a lot of things that we've lost ever since the start of start of the
c word. Contest chair, ladies and gentlemen, and my friends. I don't have to tell you what
the c word is. Ah, we hear it every day on the news, we read it every day on signs, we
see it on television advertisements, advertising goods and services. It's become the 800-pound
gorilla standing in the corner of the room and has become so much a part of our life
that I don't even have to tell you the word. Things have changed. Ff you're like grandpa,
well you have become very frustrated by the fact that our lives have become abbreviated
annual events that take place with a vibrant energy of a thousand souls all together have
been reduced to a webcam and postage size mug shots of people on a computer screen.
And you just you 2019 seems like it was 19 years ago. When the tangible is ripped away
from us, we have to hold all the more to the intangible. We all know that the Grinch can
steal the glitz and glamour from our lives, but he cannot take away its heart. Well I
know that in a lot of trouble and problems that have taken place and they've been incredibly
frustrating, but despite all of it, there is one good thing that I have found. In this
situation, it's the most important thing in our lives—our connection with other people.
Oh well. It's it's a known fact of course that the more time that we do spend at home
as a result of the c word, the better connection that we have with our family. And of course,
thanks to these little plastic electronic devices, we can now link back with old friends
that we haven't seen in years, sometimes intentionally, haven't seen in years. But the interesting
thing is that we can also connect with people that we never thought we would be connected
with. I always loved when it snowed. I mean yes, we could throw snowballs and build snowmen
and just drive all over town and there would be snow, snow, snow everywhere. But the really
interesting thing was that no matter where in the town I went, everybody was dealing
with the same frozen experience and we were united by that same problem. And boy do we
have a blizzard now. As soon as my Toastmasters club went online, we put the Zoom link on
a Google Doc and we started receiving guests from all over the place. “Hi I’m from
Wisconsin.” Welcome. “Hi I’m from japan.” “I’m from London.” Welcome, welcome.
“Hi I’m from Russia.” “I’m from Afghanistan.” “I’m from Iraq.” Welcome.
Things have changed. You see, I’ve learned that we really have no enemies. It doesn't
matter what your language is which you speak, what your religion is, whether you eat borscht,
or curry, or fried chicken. We are all together as one people, thanks to the 800-pound gorilla
that wants to destroy us. Physically and emotionally, we have a common enemy and we are all one.
How has the c-word affected your life? Have you become angry and frustrated, or have you
taken the opportunity to connect with other people? Old friends, hundreds of miles away,
or new friends, half a world away. When we finally come out of this fog, I realize that
there will be a lot of differences between now and 2019, but I hope that one of them,
one of the side effects, is a newfound appreciation for people that we have never seen and never
met before, and we can say things have changed. Contest chair. One minute of silence for the judges, please. Maureen Zappala. “It's So Good to See You.”
“It's So Good to See You,” Maureen Zappala. You should have heard what she said to me.
“Maureen, look at you. You are fat, ugly, and stupid. You failed at marriage, you're
a terrible mother, a lousy housekeeper, and you think people like you. They don't.”
Can you believe she said that? I can, because she's me. The voice was in my head. Now maybe
you're thinking, “Wow Maureen, I’m really surprised, because you look pretty confident
and put together.” Well you see the outside, but on the inside, I sometimes still hear
a voice that says, “Maureen you're worthless.” Do you ever hear that voice in your head?
Does it call you Maureen? Contest chair, friends, you're not worthless. No, no, none of us are.
Why do we still believe it? Why do we let that chatter suck the life right out of us?
There must be a way to silence it, and there is, but you must be willing to do something,
something that I learned in college the summer of my junior year. I was in the hospital laying
on an x-ray table with horrible pain shooting down my legs. I was miserable and embarrassed
the pain had me in bed for days. For four days, I hadn't changed, or showered, or shaved.
I felt like moldy bread and that voice. “Look at you Maureen. You've got greasy hair, smelly
body, furry pits. You look like trash, you smell like it too.” Then I heard another
voice that wasn't in my head. It was the x-ray technician. He said, “Maureen, is that you?
It's been years. Wow it's so good to see you.” Oh no, it was Dan Sachstetter, my senior prom
date. What are the chances I’d run into him? I guess pretty good. You know when you're
at your worst, you have the best chance of seeing an old flame. You see, in high school,
everyone loved Dan. He was smart and handsome, captain of the football team, and he liked
me. I did not look this good in high school. I didn't look this good four hours ago. I
don't apply makeup, I install it. Oh, but the prom. Oh, it was a magical date. It was
our only date and we lost touch after high school, so imagine how I felt a few years
later, inserted in his machine, stinking up that room. Oh and he looks so good. “Hi
Dan. It's, it's good to see you too.” it was a lie. I was so ashamed, and I just wanted
to vanish. Then Dan took my hand, found my eyes, and said, “Maureen, I know you're
hurting and we'll help, but wow it's so good to see you.” That moment when he found my
eyes, he looked through those flaws and spoke life to my worth. That simple phrase, “It's
so good to see you,” shattered the shame, and I felt safe and special. Like royalty,
like that prom queen I never was. Now, I still had pain. In fact, I needed surgery for a
ruptured disc. He didn't, he didn't relieve the pain, but he restored my dignity and he
silenced that voice that said, “Maureen you're worthless.” But then there was a
new voice that said, “Gosh, I wonder if he's single.” What Dan did for me is what
we must do for each other. It wasn't just his words. It was his eyes. They drilled down
to the source of my shame and gave me what I desperately wanted, what we all want—acceptance.
I didn't just hear his words, I felt them, because I saw them. He found my eyes and that
spoke life to my worth. The way to silence that voice—it's not to find Dan. It's to
be Dan for other people. We need this today more than ever. We're isolated and almost
afraid of each other. People are scanning the horizon, looking for eyes to connect with,
a heart to connect with, even if only through their eyes. Your job: find their eyes, mask
or no mask, find their eyes, and speak life to their worth. Give them the acceptance they
want. You know how it feels. Someone's probably done it for you. It's exhilarating, and life-giving,
and it lingers. I saw Dan 40 years ago. He has no idea I still tell this story. I have
no idea if he's still single. We must do this for each other, find their eyes and speak
life to their worth. I can't see your eyes right now, but when I do, know this. It's
so good to see you. Contest chair. One minute of silence for the judges, please. Mike Carr. “The Librarian and Mrs. Montgomery.”
“The Librarian and Mrs. Montgomery,” Mike Carr. I was spellbound as I watched the sheriff,
who had just been shot, slide back open that heavy metal door, stagger forward a couple
of steps, look deep into the camera, and say, “I before e, except after c.” Contest
chair, fellow Toastmasters. I was in the sixth grade, in Mrs. Montgomery’s class, watching
an educational video where a sheriff was teaching us about writing, while a bad guy named bad
English was shooting at him. It was on a film projector, because we were technology challenged
in my school, and as I watched that film, all of a sudden, something started looking
strange. The film slew down and when it picked back up, it made it sound like and it looked
like it was blinking. Then the sheriff was talking to us from the side of the screen,
the blinking started again. With a loud noise, everything went blank. I ran to the front
and I turned off the projector. I opened it up. Something smelled like it was burning.
“Mrs. Montgomery,” I said. “Can I try to fix this after school?” she said. An
hour after the final bell rang, I had disassembled the entire projector all over the floor. I
was beginning to put it back together when the librarian came strolling through. “What
are you doing?” she almost screamed at me. “Who told you you could do this?” “I
did,” said Mrs. Montgomery. The librarian though zeroed in on me. “This is school
property and it better work when you get it all back together again. If it doesn't work,
your parents are gonna have to pay for that.” Now, my parents did not have a lot of money.
If I went home and told them they had to replace a projector at school, I would have been better
off in the hands of that bad guy, bad English. And so, with focused energy, I started putting
the projector back together. After two hours, it was whole, and Mrs. Montgomery said, “Let's
try it.” I reached up and I flipped the on switch, and there out in front of us, projected
on to the screen, and all of its glory was nothing. Nothing. The projector was dead.
Mrs. Montgomery put her arm around me and she said, “It's okay that you took the risk
to try to fix it. The victory is not in the result, the victory is in the try.” But
I still had to tell my parents. When I got home, I snuck in and I thought if I just hide
in my closet, they'll forget I exist. But then, I heard from the kitchen, Mike come
in. I walked in and I said, “Mom, dad, there's something I have to tell you. I love you and
I am scared of sheriffs.” I don't know. I ran to my room. I choked. I couldn't think
of anything to say. I thought, I’ll tell them tomorrow. I crawled on my bed, and I
looked up at the ceiling, and I thought, how do I get to Norway? Now, I know there are
people from Norway in the audience and can I just tell you I don't know why Norway was
my only safe haven on this planet at that point. Maybe I thought that Norway had made
a deal with the U.N. that they would not let crazy librarians come into their country,
but at that night, I drifted off to a very restless sleep, dreaming of swimming to Norway.
I was awakened with a jolt when my alarm went off the next morning. As I got ready for the
day, I was sick to my stomach. When I got to school, I knew my time was up. I slunk
to the library to find Mrs. Landon, sitting there, reading her newspaper. She was drinking
out of this coffee mug that's concerning. I approached her and I told her the final
fate of her projector. She slowly started looking up at me, her lips started curling.
Then, she leaned forward and said, “Fine.” What, what, what just happened? I- I’m still
alive. I could not believe it. My failure had not killed me and yours will not kill
you. What was it that Mrs. Montgomery said? “The victory is not in the result, the victory
is in the try.” Ever since then, I have walked through life with a little librarian,
Mrs. Landon, sitting on this shoulder, and a Mrs. Montgomery sitting on this shoulder.
When I tried and gave my very first speech, which was a train wreck, Mrs. Landon told
me, “You should never try that again.” But Mrs. Montgomery reminded me that the failure
had taught me lessons that could be a springboard to future success, and she was right. But
her words ring even more true for you, and let me tell you why. I know this for years.
Toastmasters has been the place where leaders are made. You are here in some way to increase
your leadership skill and this world desperately needs leaders who will create fertile soil
for innovation to grow. Toastmasters is a great example. When COVID hit this year, they
could have said, “No, we're just going to cancel the contest. We'll cancel the convention
and we'll pick it up again next year.” But instead, they decided to try something new.
This virtual experience, and yes there have been glitches, but that's what info that's
what innovation is like. Glitches happen and the lessons that they have learned take us
miles beyond those organizations that just canceled. If you want to lead people to fix
persistent problems, someday, somewhere, somebody is going to have to try something new, and
you as the leader have the opportunity to encourage that effort, that effort that might
fail, for a chance to find the future. The victory is in the try. Be a Montgomery. Leaders
encourage risk, try new things. The victory is not in the result, my friends. The victory
is in the try. Contest chair. One minute of silence for the judges, please. Kwong Yue Yang. “Knock.” “Knock,”
Kwong Yue Yang. Growing up in Australia as a little Chinese
boy, my parents always told me that there were three things I could be: a lawyer, a
doctor, or a failure. Now at nine years old, having a career path wasn't really on my to-do
list. The one thing that I really wanted was the same thing that most other kids would
want. It doesn't matter how old you are, what color your skin is, or where you're from.
The one thing that most kids want is to be liked by the other little kids. Now at nine
years old, being liked equaled being cool. Problem was I wasn't cool. Bowl shaped haircut—not
cool. Math nerd—not cool. And speaking funny English wasn't cool. But in my search for
coolness, I did find one thing that gave me hope and that was kung fu. You see, my idol
at the time was Jackie Chan, a famous Hong Kong movie star that would climb up buildings,
jump off trees, and kick everybody's ass. I figured Jackie’s got black hair, I’ve
got black hair. Jackie speaks funny English, I speak funny English. Jackie’s a kung fu
maste,r so I must be a kung fu master. And then when I find out from my parents that
Jackie’s going to be eating in a Chinese restaurant in my hometown, I’m over the
moon, because I have a plan. I’ll go to the restaurant, I’ll get a photo, I’ll
get an autograph, I’ll show the other kids, and I will be cool. And so the next day, I
convinced my parents to take me to this Chinese restaurant called Great Wall. We sit down,
the waiter comes by, and we find out that Jackie is in the private room. It's up some
stairs, up on the platform, up to the side, and so I walk up the stairs, and I go towards
the private room. There are these two big, white doors that I can't see through, so I
stand there and I get ready to knock, but I can't do it. And so my nine-year-old brain
says, “Hey let's just wait till Jackie comes out of the room and then we'll bump into him
accidentally.” And so I run back down to my table, I sit down, and I stare at the doors.
I stare at the doors for an hour. Jackie doesn't come out. I’m thinking dude, don't you need
to go to toilet? I know I do. And then I look down and all the food on our table is almost
gone. I’m running out of time, so I tell my parents that I’m still hungry and they
order some more sweet and sour pork. I sit there and I eat as slowly as I can. 30 minutes
passed, no Jackie. My parents say to me, “You have to go knock on that door or we're going
home.” So I walk up the stairs and I go towards those two big, white doors. I’m
ready to knock and I can't do it. My knees are shaking, my heart is pumping, and my body
is shivering. And then this inner voice starts yelling at me. “Knock on the door. Just
do it. It's not that hard. Just do it. You're wearing Nikes. Just do it.” And then another
voice yells, “Your Nikes are fake. You can't do it.” Suddenly, the doors burst open.
I think it's Jackie Chan, but it's a lady in a blue dress. She walks out of the room,
so I quickly pretend as if I just happen to be walking by. I run back down to my parents
and my parents say to me, “Go knock on that door or we're going home.” And so I go back
up to those two white doors, I realize I can't knock, and I realize I’m never going to
be cool. And I start to cry and I don't know how long I’m crying for, but the lady in
the blue dress walks back up, she walks around me, and walks back into the room. I quickly
run back down to the table and I’m hoping that the tears in my eyes will convince my
parents to go knock on the door for me. They stand up, but they put on their jackets, and
I know straight away they're not doing anything awesome, because they're my parents and they
want me to learn a life lesson. But the only lesson I learn is that I feel helpless and
I can't get through my door, which is both physical and mental, and so I stand up, I
put on my jacket, I know I’m going home empty-handed, and I look at the door one more
time and I see Jackie Chan with this great, big smile. He starts walking down the steps
and behind him is the lady in the blue dress. She whispers in his ears and points to me.
Jackie comes over and he says, “I hear that there's somebody I need to meet.” I get
a photo, I get an autograph, and I am over the moon. That night, a lady's little act
of kindness gave this little boy hope. Now every day, there is someone, somewhere, trying
their best, but they're struggling to open their door. And sometimes a simple knock doesn't
feel that simple, and so if you ever see someone struggle, it doesn't matter how old they are,
what color their skin is, or where they're from, help them. Open the door, because what
the world needs now more than ever is hope. Aand if you want to wear a blue dress, that's
up to you. Please remain silent until the judges have
completed their ballots. All right, the judges have been removed and we will continue on.
Proceed with the interviews. All of you did an amazing job. We laughed, we cried, and
you left us with deeper messages. We'll begin with Aaron Sampson. All right Aaron, where
are you, from which district are you in, and what club are you representing? I am from the San Francisco Bay Area in California.
I am representing, proud to represent, San Mateo Storytellers in district four. All right, so Aaron, you mentioned about the
roles that you play in life and the important ones about a father and a husband, but you
play another role in something to do with Facebook kids. Can you tell us about that? Yes, I work at Facebook. I work on messenger
kids product, which is a product that shares, it allows children to be able to connect safely
with their closest friends and family. Wow what a worthwhile thing. So how much does
it take to be trending on Facebook? How many posts do we need to have, Aaron? How many
posts do you need to have to be trending on Facebook? Uh I you know what I I’m not representing
Facebook in the context of this contest, so I can't answer that with certainty, but I
promise you that if you put more content out there on any social media platform, you will
trend. The most important thing is to put valuable content out there, so if you're able
to share your message and get content out there, people will uh start following you
and your content will trend. Well great. Let's hope today that we can have
the trending for the World Championship of Public Speaking and Toastmasters International.
We want to thank you so much for your words of wisdom and your message, and uh congratulations
on participating in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking. Thank you. It's good to be here. Lindy MacLaine, it's so nice to have you here
with us today. Would you please start with where are you from, what district are you
in, and what club sent you here today? Yes, I live in the Pacific northwest of the
United States in Swim, Washington. I am competing at a professionally speaking advanced club
from Polesville, Washington. My home club is Squim Toastmasters and I also belong to
Jefferson County Toastmasters. Nice. Now Lindy, I know that you're an author
and have written several books. Perhaps give us the name of one of your books, but let's
hear the distinction between writing a speech and writing a book. What are the similarities
or the differences? I’d be delighted. I’ve written a sincere
middle grade fantasy adventure series. The first book is called “The Curse of the Neverland.”
It's a modern-day spin-off of the Neverland, starring girls. Writing novels is long, obviously.
One of the major differences is word count. My books have somewhere around 75,000 words.
A five- to seven-minute speech has between 600 and 900 words or something like that.
But I will tell you that there is so much in common and I have learned so many things
speaking that will help me when I begin writing again. For instance, don't go off on long
narratives, use dialogue to cut into the scene, briefly make sure you have a powerful opening.
People's attention span is short. They'll close the book immediately if they don't get
engaged in the first few sentences. Oh and action. Keep with action. Don't sag too much.
Just so many parallels. I’ve learned a lot as a speaker. All right well thank you so much for your
message and your words of wisdom. Congratulations for participating in the 2020 World Championship
of Public Speaking. Linda-Marie Miller, share with us where you're from, which district
you're in, and what club you are representing. I live in Durham, North Carolina in the United
States of America. My district is an interesting answer. When this contest started, I was in
district 37, and I’m here representing 37, but halfway through this contest, the district
split, so I have to give a shout out to district 117, which is now the district that I’m
in. The name of my home club is Figure of Speech, but I’m also a member of another
club called Duke Toastmasters. Thank you. Now Linda-Marie, I know your runway
to the World Championship has been pretty short. Share with us how long you've been
a Toastmaster and what message you would give those that are just being introduced to Toastmasters
for the first time today. Well I’ll start with that if someone invites
you to a Toastmasters meeting, go. The person that invited me to my first Toastmasters meeting
is Tony. I have learned so much in Toastmasters. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences
of my life and it is truly a huge way to make a difference in the world, both to helping
other Toastmasters and also sharing your message with the world. Well thank you for your words of wisdom today
and your message. Congratulations on participating in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking.
Thank you. Benjamin Wayo, tell us where you're from, what district you are in, and what club
you are representing. I am from the motherland. I’m from Nigeria,
West Africa, representing region 11, district 94, and of course my club is Apple Hill Diamonds
Club in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, Division E. Thank you. Now in your profile, I read that
you're a veterinarian and can you share with us a story about, pardon me, yes can you share
with us a story about an animal and a lesson learned from an animal. Wow that would be a difficult one and I’m
lodging harriet. I’m not exactly full of so many stories, but in any case, I could
tell you about how I became a veterinarian. I was in my fifth year of secondary school,
my penultimate year of what you may call high school, and I I I realized that I loved animals.
I loved biology and I felt being the veterinary doctor would be the next best thing. I could
wake up 3 a.m. and go treat animals and I’d be okay, so I went into school based on that
and I love the job. It's actually exciting, being able to treat people, treat, I call
them people, being able to treat special people, that can't tell you what they feel and you
just have to figure it out by looking at so many signs and I it's quite fulfilling. I
find it very exciting. Every day on the job, it's an exciting one. Well thank you for your deep caring about
people and your deep caring about special people. Thank you today and congratulations
in participating in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking. Sherwood Jones, where
are you from, what district are you in, and what club do you represent? I’m living in Nacogdoches, Texas, although
I just got here in January from Los Angeles. I am representing district 50 and the club
is Shreveport Club. I’ve been in Toastmasters, I was in Toastmasters in Los Angeles, district
1, for quite a long time. So I understand that you're a film editor
and a film instructor. Share with us what you took from that industry that you've been
able to apply to virtual presentations. Well I think that in general if you work in
film, you're aware of so many different elements and, particularly in the virtual environment,
how the frame works, how the lighting, the framing, the composition, the closeness, or
the farthest away that you are from the camera, helps to connect with the audience emotionally.
And I love audience psychology, both in filmmaking and in public speaking. Thank you for your message and your words
of wisdom. Congratulations for participating in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking.
Maureen Zappala, it is good to see you, good call back. Share with us where you're from,
what district you were in, and what club you were in. I live in Henderson, Nevada, which is the
suburb of Las Vegas. I moved here just about a year ago from Cleveland, so I’m currently
in a brand-new district, district 115, originally from district 10. The club I’m in is Henderson
Toasters. I used to live in Henderson at one time, so
I’d like, I did, I’d like to hear how your clubs have supported you over the years
Maureen. Well you know it. I have a great club, sorry
I have a great club, and I say this frequently when I talk to people. District 10 launched
me, district 115 caught me, and I got caught by the best club, Henderson Toasters. Tt's
a local club sponsor, a, it's not a corporate club, but resident at the City of Henderson
City Hall, so a lot of the members are part of the City of Henderson staff, and this town
just has amazing pride, and camaraderie, and excitement, and vision, and they're it's just
a great group of people. So they welcomed me as a new person in their club and in the
in the uh district and they have just been so supportive. My balcony people through this
whole contest. It's just been phenomenal, phenomenal. I love them. I love you Henderson
Toasters. Thank you so much for your message and your
words of wisdom. Congratulations in participating in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking.
Mike Carr, where are you from, what district do you represent, and what club or clubs are
you in? I live in Austin, Texas and I am from district
55, and I am in two clubs. I’m representing Austin Toastmasters and, as we like to say,
the greatest Toastmasters club in the known universe. That's debatable, I think, and I’m
also a member, and I owe a great debt of gratitude to, Laughing Matters Toastmasters, where laughing
really matters. Yeah I think there's several clubs that claim
that first title and so that's nice. Nice to hear there's so many the best in the world.
Mike, I understand you have eight children, is that correct? Yes, yes, that is and so they're all future
Toastmasters. But tell us about your children, how you ended
up with eight, and how they help you in your speeches. The way, the way with the the way we ended
up with a really begins with my marriage proposal. I proposed and said let's have no children
and focus on career, travel the world, so that just didn't work out. He saw we we had
that first baby girl and I was so deeply head over heels in love with her that every time
we'd think, “Well maybe just one more,” we say, “Sure, yeah this is great.” So
it is, it is a joyful chaos. It is both of those things, joyful and chaotic, but they,
they have experiences. Thankfully my wife births funny children and so they give me
a lot of information, a lot of, of material to speak about, different ways of looking
at the world. They challenge me, actually, in very serious topics. I learned from them
now. It's, it's been a really rich experience, so they, they do help me an awful lot, except
during this experience. Whenever I would walk out into the house and they'd go, “Yeah,
yeah, yeah, whatever. You know, World Championship of Public Speaking, I need something to eat.” Well I’m sure they're standing on the other
side of the door waiting for you to, to bring some food their way. What age are they Mike? My oldest is 29 and then our youngest are
a set of twins and they're 13. Oh nice. Beautiful. Well, congratulations
on having an amazing family and sharing with us your message and words of wisdom. Congratulations
for participating in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking. Oh thank you, I’m so honored. Kwong Yue Yang, this is not the first time
that you have competed in the World Championship of Public Speaking, but please tell us today
where you are from, what district do you represent, and what clubs you were in. So I’m originally from Australia, currently
in Australia, but the district I am representing is 118, which is all the way in China. Uh
just being separated because of what's happening right now. I’m part of three clubs: Gem
Toastmasters Club, Gat, and Acca. they're all based in Guangzhou. Thank you. Of course, this year, you're competing
in the virtual environment. So how did you have to create and prepare and deliver differently
than you would have typically preparing for the World Championship? I would say that they are just totally different
formats, or different delivery styles, and anything that you would do on a stage doesn't
necessarily translate onto screen very well. So big movements, stage usage, it is all really
different, and trying to build that connection with the audience is definitely much harder,
because you don't get feedback. You're just talking to a camera, so you just have to judge
with your feelings and to hope that you are connecting. Thank you. Well thank you so much for your
message and your words of wisdom about hope and the future and congratulations for participating
in the 2020 World Championship of Public Speaking. We congratulate each one of our contestants.
We laughed with you, we felt your pain, and we thank you for showing us how to create
a better tomorrow. Thank you for participating in the World Championship of Public Speaking.
Please welcome back International President-Elect, Distinguished Toastmaster, Richard E. Peck. Thank you, Margaret, and thank you to the
judges, timers, and counters. The Toastmasters International Accredited Speaker program recognizes
those Toastmasters members who have achieved a level of proficiency that enables them to
be a paid professional speaker. To be an Accredited Speaker, a member must give 25 speaking engagements
to non-Toastmasters audiences before they are eligible to apply. Applicants must also
demonstrate their speaking abilities before a live audience. Applicants progress through
two levels of evaluation and are judged by a panel of professional speakers at each level.
Since 1981, the Accredited Speaker program has recognized 87 individual Toastmasters
with this prestigious designation. for the 2020 program, there were 21 applicants for
level 1, during which, an applicant's video presentation is evaluated by a panel of judges.
In level 2, four candidates presented for a live, virtual audience and panel of judges.
These candidates demonstrated adaptability to our changing global landscape in their
willingness to present as professional speakers for an online audience. I am pleased to announce
that the following Toastmaster passed level 2 of the program and is the newest Accredited
Speaker: Mohamed Ali Shukri. We congratulate the newest Accredited Speaker on this accomplishment.
Each year, Toastmasters International conducts a special video speech contest for members
of undistricted clubs. Entries for the 2020 competition came from all over the world.
The third-place winner is Javed Bhatti from Karachi, Pakistan. The second-place winner
is Carol Wakio Nderi from Nairi, Kenya. And the 2020 winner of the video speech contest
is Carolyne Gathuru from Nairobi, Kenya. We congratulate these Toastmasters on their outstanding
achievements. And now the news we have all been waiting for. Please note that there was
one disqualification due to time. The third-place winner is Lindy MacLaine. The second-place
winner is Linda-Marie Miller. And the first-place winner in the 2020 World Championship of Public
Speaking is Mike Carr. Let us take a moment to recognize our fantastic top three winners
in today's contest. Please note that the winner of today's contest will be available for the
virtual speakers showcase at 5 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time. During this showcase, the first-place
winner will deliver acknowledgements and all three winners will answer questions about
their journey and experience. The link to access this event is available on the virtual
convention agenda page of the Toastmasters International website. The 2020 World Championship
of Public Speaking is now adjourned. Thank you for attending.
