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Our own Byron Embry continued his success in the International Speech contest by winning the Region III event on Saturday, June 20th, in Denver, Colorado. Congratulations, Byron, and good luck at the International Convention in August.
Featured Members: Spring Contest Winners
The district-level competition of our Spring 2009 contests were held during the Spring Conference on May15th and 16th. Matthew Meyers won the Table Topics Contest on Friday night. Byron Embry won the International Speech Contest on Saturday night. Read on to learn the stories behind these two successful Toastmasters.
 Byron Embry: International Speech Champion
Byron joined Toastmasters International in 2008 to develop his speaking skills, an aspiration he had considered impossible for most of his life, due to a speech impediment. Not only is he relatively new, but his first 6 months as a member afforded very little time to participate because he was wrapping up a 12-year career as a professional baseball player. That experience, which included time with the Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Mariners, provides a lot of material for his speeches. His district-winning presentation encouraged the audience to "keep swinging." Based on his early successes, Byron has launched a professional speaking career. He credits the positive environment and constructive feedback provided through the Toastmasters program as one critical source of his success. Byron grew up in Richmond, Kentucky and now lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He is a member of Currently Speaking (#5481) and Pikes Peak Toastmasters (#3044).
 Matthew Meyers - District 26's 2009 Table Topics Champion
Matt Meyers won the Table Topics contest with a thoughtful and energetic response to the question: How do you tell the good guys from the bad guys? Matt joined Toastmasters 6 years ago. His own words summarize his experience and reasons for competing in contests: "Toast Masters has literally been a life changing experience. It has enabled me to take on new roles at T-Mobile, where I am now a Training and Development Specialist. Toast Masters gave me the opportunity to show T-Mobile and my leaders at the time that I was capable of more. Six years later, I have moved from taking calls as a representative, to traveling to help our company's leadership become even more effective.
Contests have played a huge roll in my success and development. I encourage anyone to compete the next time contests come around. It not only feels amazing to speak in front of the crowds! It also is a great opportunity to share what is important to you in this life." Matt has expanded his communication skills further through participation in an improv comedy team. He is a member of Stick Together Toastmasters (#674894) and Evening Stars(#8660). |
