·
Winning Speech: “America”
A patriotic and motivating speech
about taking advantage of our opportunities, by Walter Marriah Jr.
·
Runner-up: “The Month of August”
A sentimental speech about the impact of a
loving father, by Louis Sloan
·
2nd runner-up: “Fight or Flight”
An illuminating speech on the courageous
nature of a rescue dog and how we could emulate it, by Pat Simmons
All three speeches were impactful and memorable speeches
delivered by dynamic and seasoned speakers.
However, you’d really be surprised by the result of the speech that most
likely placed last that night.
This speech was delivered by Leah Gilbert Henderson. You must know that Leah placed last at the 1st
round (club level). She only advanced
because all the others who placed higher had scheduling conflicts and couldn’t
compete at the next round. Leah then
competed at the 2nd round (Area level) and once again placed
last. Luck would have it, that once
again, scheduling conflicts for others opened the door for Leah to compete at
the octo-finals (Division Level).
On the night of the Division contest, April 16, 2011, Leah
gave a speech to encourage us to better our health by eating vibrant colored
fruits and vegetables, yet she struggled to keep her delivery from being as
bland as white flour. Needless to say
Leah did not leave with a trophy that night, nor was she going to strike luck a
third time to somehow move to the quarterfinals. However, her speech did not die in that meeting
room.
Three days later, after arriving home from work, I opened
the fridge to see all kinds of greens and fruits. My wife, Teressa, said that Leah’s speech
motivated and challenged her to make better diet decisions.
10 months later our fridge is still regularly supplied with
colored veggies and fruits. Leah’s speech
did not make it to the top round but her message made it to another home.
That is what the contest, and speaking in general is about:
Not how far you can make it, but rather how far your message can reach.
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