Carlos Calderin outshined more than 180 local participants to win the district-level competition of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, representing approximately 1700 members in 91 clubs that extend from the Tennessee River in the west to middle and east Tennessee, southern Kentucky, and eight counties in the southwest tip of Virginia.
Mr. Calderin has qualified to advance to the semifinal rounds of the contest. Calderin is vying for one of nine spots in the World Championship of Public Speaking to be held at the Toastmasters International Convention Saturday, August 15, in Las Vegas.
Mr. Calderin, a member of Downtown Dazzlers Toastmasters Club, in Chattanooga, surpassed fierce competition to win the hearts of the audience and judges alike with his speech, ‘Free to be Free.’ The speech touched on the themes of bravery, passion and freedom.
When it comes to connecting with an audience, he said, “The key is to have a message that sparks the interest of the listener.” Downtown Dazzlers is one of 12 clubs in Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. Clubs anywhere from twice a month to weekly. (Visit the website at https://sites.google.com/site/toastmastersinchattanooga/ to find out more about clubs in the Chattanooga Area)
Ninety-one winners from districts around the world advanced to the semifinal round after a six-month process of elimination through club, area and district speech competitions. Their five- to seven-minute speeches were judged on content, organization, gestures and style.
“Toastmasters speech contests are a fantastic way for a person to sharpen his or her communication skills, because the competitor is challenged to speak effectively to a variety of audiences,”says Mr. Calderin. “I am looking forward to competing on a much larger stage in Las Vegas!”
Mr. Calderin works as an Immigration and Nationality Attorney at the law firm of Calderin & Oliva P.A. in Chattanooga. He joined Toastmasters to become a better speaker and leader at work and in the community.
The Toastmasters International Speech Contest is the world’s largest speech contest, involving approximately 30,000 participants from 122 countries. It culminates with the popular World Championship of Public Speaking held annually at the organization’s 2015 International Convention.
To learn more about the contest or Toastmasters club membership, contact Stacci Thomas by email at spthomas8192@gmail.com or by phone at 423 821-9837. Follow @Toastmasters International on Twitter (#TIConv15) to track Mr. Calderin’s progress.