Since coming back from the World Conference of Public
Speaking last summer, I’ve had many requests to share what it was like to
compete in the WCPS. What was going
through my mind during the competition?
That-I remember vividly.
“What if my shoe comes off during my speech and goes flying
across the stage!!?? I’m sure the Judges
will pick up on that!” This is what’s
going through my mind waiting to go on stage at the 2013 World Championship of
Public Speaking. This is it! The Finals!
The Big Show! Here I am obsessing about
loose footwear. That’s typical for me. Stooping quickly in the semidarkness back
stage, I re-tie the laces. There! It’s fine, now focus up. “Let’s do this!” I say with the conviction of
an action hero in a summer blockbuster movie.
Let’s do this! It’s been my mantra since starting on this
incredible journey that started at the Club level back in January 2013 (light
years ago it seems). A journey that’s
led all the way to Cincinnati , Ohio, and the World Stage. I’m honored to share this moment with eight
other talented speakers. Together, we
represent Bulgaria, Dubai, The U.S., South Africa, and New Zealand. 48 hours ago, I didn’t know any of them. Now, I count them among the bravest people on
earth.
All of the Finalists opted to be backstage, to utilize every
possible moment to warm up - vocally, mentally, and physically. All of us want to be at the absolute best we
can be when we step out there live. Yes,
LIVE! Around the planet on this early
August morning, Toastmasters from thousands of locations are tuning in to catch
this broadcast. Who wouldn’t want to be at
their best?
As I pace the hallways, running my speech, I quickly check
the pockets. Cell phone turned off? Check! As an added precaution it’s also powered
off, wrapped in a wash cloth, and locked in my hotel room safe. All pockets are empty, and so is my
stomach. A reverberating growl through
my lower intestinal tract reminds me that the half an energy bar at 4 am that
morning is long gone. So what? I’ll eat later, sleep later, do everything
later! Right now, it’s all about this
speech, this moment, this shoe that won’t stay tied!!!
In the labyrinth of backstage hallways and storage rooms I
pass my fellow Finalists. Some are mobile like me, constantly on the move. Some have “staked out” little areas to
practice their presentations. In the
midst of the focus and preparation we acknowledge each other with a nod, fist
bump, hand shake, hug, and a word of encouragement. Then back to the focus. Right now it’s about getting the message
right, the story, and the connection with the audience; fine tuning each
sentence, gesture, and beat.
I pass one of the
backstage monitors. I hear generous
laughter and clapping. Everyone’s doing so great. A Tech signals me by holding up 4 fingers. Number 4, that’s me. I go and get fitted with a mic. I make sure it’s anchored, as I’ve got some
big physical movements coming up. I pass
behind the big screen, following the white tape arrows to the ramp leading up
to the entrance on Stage Right. I take a
last sip of room temperature water. I
check my shoes one last time. Top of the
ramp, we’re in the one minute of silence zone (The longest minute ever!). I hear flashes of inspirational quotes from
Joan of Arc, Sir Winston Churchill, my daughter. “I love you most, like jelly on toast Dad!” I hear my heart pounding in my chest, and
hope the mic isn’t picking that up! I
hear my name, the curtains part, there’s thunderous applause. I see
the lights, the International flags, the Contest Chair, the audience. I step through the parted curtain onto the
World Stage, and I think, “Let’s do this! And my shoe had better not come off!”
Monty Ray Davidson, ALB/ACG, belongs to the World Toasters
at Walt Disney World Fl. and the Orlando Advanced Toasters in Orlando Fl. He is currently working on his first book, King of the Monkey Bars.
