Mélanie Hope of Kent won the District 32 level of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, representing the district encompassing Federal Way to Vancouver, Puyallup to the coast including the Key Peninsula.
Hope has qualified to advance to the semifinal rounds of the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, which is Aug. 18 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Hope, a member of The Good News Club in Federal Way, surpassed fierce competition to win the hearts of the audience and judges alike with her speech, “Be Careful What You Wish for; You May Just Get a Snuggie.” The speech tells the story of the loss of her mother to brain cancer as it wraps around an incident at a family get-together involving a Snuggie.
“I love to tell stories and make people feel deeply, especially if I can make them laugh along the way,” she said.
Eighty-two district-level winners from 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.
“This is my first time competing in a Toastmasters contest at this level,” Hope said. “I’m excited, terrified and learning something new every day.”
Hope is the author of “Nose-to-Nose Networking,” a book and keynote series that teaches entrepreneurs and job seekers in-person networking skills using stories about her Golden Retriever. She wrote the book in and about Kent. She may be reached via her website, www.hopespeaking.com.
The Toastmasters International Speech Contest is the world’s largest speech contest comprising 30,000 participants in 113 countries.
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