To bid farewell to 2006 and welcome 2007, the Port-Louis Toastmasters club organized the screening* of Ouch, the winning speech delivered by Toastmaster Darren Lacroix at the World Championship of Public Speaking in August 2001. Ouch is described by most dictionaries as the sound made when feeling sudden pain. Why such a title for a speech? Simple. Darren Lacroix wanted to inspire his audience and beyond, that public speaking is not a gift one is born with but a skill that can be acquired and taken to great heights provided one is willing to put in the necessary efforts and rise above failure.

So often, we are mesmerized by the performance of a great ballerina onstage or an athlete winning a 100m race. We see only those few hours or few seconds but we do not see the hours and hours of practice behind these glorious moments. Darren Lacroix shows us ‘his’ way. “Being good at anything is a process and there are many “ouches” along the way. Don’t let falling on your face stop you. Understand falling is an inevitable part of the process.”

As its website says, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leadership, foster human understanding and contribute to the betterment of mankind. How to achieve all this? The speech of Darren Lacroix is a great example. Darren prepared and prepared his speech. “Some people may be envious of my award, but few are envious of that much preparation.” No wonder that Darren’s motto is “stage time, stage time, stage time”.

Toastmasters International provides its members with the educational material to prepare their speeches and other tasks usually carried out during meetings. No less important are evaluations. Evaluations done by other members help the member progress and give the best of himself/herself. Evaluations which are conducted in a supportive environment emphasise the strong points of a speech and invite the speaker to improve in areas with weaknesses. Self-evaluation is important too. Recording a prepared speech and reviewing it later with a more relaxed mindset helps you evaluate yourself better.

Finally, one can say that, at the heart of Darren Lacroix’s, lies the following message: ‘With dedication and practice, you can become a champion.’

A Toastmasters club helps its members develop and reach their potential. The Port-Louis Toastmasters club meets twice monthly at the City Club and its team can be reached at [email protected]

*Special copyright permission was granted by Darren Lacroix to the Port Louis Toastmasters club for the screening of his award-winning speech.