Meet Linton McClain, Division A Governor

by Paul Peterzell, Reporter’s Chair, District 84

Linton McClain

When you first meet Linton McClain, Division A Governor, you might be surprised by his rise to success, given all the obstacles that were in his way. You will meet someone who was undeterred to reach for great success at work and in Toastmasters in spite of a hardly typical upbringing. His story is quite inspiring.

“As a youth, my family moved around quite a bit. My father was always between jobs and needed to make income for a household of 9 children. There was never enough income,” explained Linton.

During the summer breaks, Linton would chop wood for cooking and heat since they were poor and all of the children had to contribute so they could survive. They even had to fetch water from neighbors for drinking, cooking, and bathing. This experience taught young Linton some valuable lessons.

“In life you must learn to utilize your resources, and if you do not have them, you must go out and find them.” Linton emphasized.

At 17 Linton joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school. He saw people he served with lose their lives and learned some valuable lessons about life. He would be 22 years old and only had military experience. Yet he was determined to make it in the world with limited experience. Having an interest in physical fitness and desiring to
help others achieve their fitness goals, Linton became a personal trainer at a local gym. He was very dedicated and passionate as a trainer and saw potential in this new-found career.

“I enjoyed what I did in every aspect.” Linton said. In September 2006 Linton’s mother died suddenly of a massive heart attack and he was determined to honor his birth by using his God given talents. In 2008 he started his own personal training business.

This is where Toastmasters comes in. One of his clients suggested he join Toastmasters. In 2009, he joined Baywood Toastmasters. Shortly after joining, he held various positions including club secretary, President, and then Area Governor. From Area Governor he became Division A Governor. On September 12, 2011, he received
his DTM designation.

Linton credits Toastmasters as helping him develop leadership skills to help his business grow. He has been featured in Jacksonville magazine and has numerous newspapers articles written about him.

“Toastmasters taught me that we are all given many opportunities in life, unfortunately, we often see them as obstacles. I am glad I took advantage of the many Toastmasters opportunities available.”

Linton surely has accomplished much in his life and Toastmasters has helped him in many areas of his life. District 84 is indeed fortunate to have Linton as a Division Governor and he serves as a fine example for many others in the organization.