What is a "World Champion of Public Speaking?"

"Everywhere I go I run into Toastmasters who are jealous of my winning the trophy. I understand that. But never have I run into anyone who was jealous of the work I did to win it."
-Darren LaCroix, 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking

Each year Toastmasters International, the world's premier organization for helping people develop their speaking, listening, and leadership skills, sponsors an international competition where more than 25,000 people begin a quest to be the World Champion of Public Speaking. And each year only nine people survive a six-month series of speech competitions, earning the right to vie for that title. The select nine compete in front of an international crowd of more than 2,000 public speakers. The competition is intense.

In the end only one person triumphs. Only one person stands alone as the World Champion of Public Speaking. On August 25th 2001 Darren LaCroix was that one person. It took him only nine years and four months to be an "overnight success."

copyright 2003 David Brooks, 1990 World Championship of Public Speaking
www.worldchampionspeakers.com