Winning pair have a way with words

Marina Van Elst won the International Speech Contest and Richard Turnhout won the Evaluation Contest.

The winners will now compete against members from other clubs in the area in the finals on February 22.

Contest winner Marina Van Elst said she still felt nervous after her original speech Spiders and other ‘F’ words.

She has been a member of the local Toastmasters club for eight years but only started entering club competitions in the past 12 months.

“Standing in front of an audience can be nerve-racking,” she said.

“Through Toastmasters, I have learned ways to overcome nerves and Mandjar Speakers is a very supportive club.

“I like the challenge and am looking forward to the next part of the competition.”

Mandjar Speakers is just one Toastmasters club among many that participate in a self-paced learning program to empower their members to be strong communicators and confident leaders.

The International Speech contest challenges members to present to a larger audience under competition conditions and use the knowledge they have gained from the program.

The Evaluation contest is an opportunity for members to demonstrate their skill at providing feedback to speakers at club meetings.