This year was unique, as until this point 110 District Champions from all around the world competed in 10 semifinals to determine who was the best – only the winners could qualify to the final. This year there was a regional Quarterfinal, where the District winners had to send their video recordings (based on really strict rules, communicated earlier to District Program Quality Directors), and after that an international board selected the best speeches of each region to emerge to the Semifinals in Denver.
I was lucky enough to be present at this event, hungry for some good speeches, and they did not let me down. As Hungary is in Region 10, I decided to participate at Khushi Pasquale’s semifinal. Khushi is a lady from the US, living in Berlin, Germany – she was representing Europe as regional champion, and as I’ve known her for a while I wanted to cheer for her. I wished her good luck before the show, and this way I really felt involved.
The audience was big, around 800 enthusiastic Toastmasters gathered to watch the Semifinals. The rule was easy- deliver your speech, be in the top 3, then you can speak in the final (with totally new speech, as the rule states – as the best speakers have to have another best-in-class speech in their pocket every time).
I think everybody should try watching a speech contest with Spanish and Portuguese District officers, I had chance to sit next to Nacho, the District Director of the abore mentioned countries. Nacho has his own funny view on each and every speech, and as I’m also talkative, we could share and discuss the speeches. And our view was the same, the best speaker on stage was Aaron Beverly. Aaron was a seasoned speaker from Philadelphia, he had already won the second place earlier with the extraordinary speech, which title contained 57 words (!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoLWKMIcQmw
I did not envy the contest chair Past International President Balraj Arunasalam, who had to say it out loud, twice (!).
In the Semi, Aaron ruled the stage with his charm and self-confidence. After the contest I decided to record a short message with him for the Toastmasters of Central Europe, and to get a few hints what keeps him motivated to compete again and again.
Unfortunately Khushi could not make the top 3 in the Semifinals, this is why she was not qualified to the Saturday final. But Khushi was not sad, as being part of the 14 best speakers of the world is a great feeling and achievement. Khushi later on gave me an interview about her path to the WCPS and her drivers.
2 days passed by and I was standing at the big door to enter the hall of Word Championship of Public Speaking with 2000 Toastmasters from all around the world. I had chance to speak with some US friends, who knew Aaron, and they shared that the story Aaron would deliver was a true story, as he mentioned it earlier in a private discussion. If you did not see the video, you can check it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmj1LBJu_Ss
The story was a blast, Aaron delivered his speech as the second speaker, but I felt that we have the winner – Nacho, my Spanish friend had a different approach, but I had a feeling the earlier interview would upgrade to an Interview with the Word Champion. Aaron started his speech with a reflection to his long-titled-speech of 2016, which already made connection with the audience.
Acceptance despite difference was the main topic of the winning speech, and had great and colourful storytelling with some deep moral at the end. Aaron Beverly deserved to become Word Champion, as his speech had the same message for all the people in the room – and he could make it without using Toastmaster references, singing or talking about traumas. It was really natural, and easy to link to the topic.
The contest was really great, to laugh, applaud and to get enchanted by the word-class speakers on stage with 2000 incredible Toastmasters from all around the globe. This will remain a memory of a life-time for me, and I will always remember the handshake and the short interview with the world champion of 2019, Aaron Beverly.
Written by Daniel Kővári, Program Quality Director of Toastmasters District 110.