by Elaine Royal D25’s 2025 International Speech Contest Winner
I cheated! That’s right, I cheated! After barely winning at the club level and competing with two seasoned Toastmasters, I started cheating in this contest. Cheat means to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage, especially in a game or examination.
The Friday before the Area level contest, I was thanking the last of my fellow co-workers for allowing me to practice in front of them. As my co-worker was about to leave (let’s call him Mr. Walker), Mr. Walker said, “Elaine, stop by to show off that trophy to me first on Monday.” I laughed and said something to the effect of “gonna do my best.” Right at that moment, my other co-worker (let’s call her Mrs. Kennedy) looked at me and said that I needed to claim the win. I gave another passive response, “gonna give it my all Mrs. Kennedy.”
As fate, or shall I say faith, would have it, Walker and Kennedy were deeply religious people. Mr. Walker put down a pile of half-graded papers, and Mrs. Kennedy closed my classroom door. Mr. Walker walked over, “Royal, I said stop by and show off that trophy to me first on Monday.” I gave a fearful nod and glanced over at Mrs. Kennedy. Mr. Walker then went on to make me say out loud that I was going to win the contest tomorrow. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to say I would win with certainty knowing everyone else in the competition had the exact same desire.
Mr. Walker then reminded me of how he witnessed me make students speak positive self-affirmations to themselves. I instantly felt like a hypocrite. Something about telling students to do something I hadn’t done felt dishonest. I felt like a cheater because I realized I was cheating myself this whole time.
“Say, I’m a winner Royal, right now” Mrs. Kennedy yelled out from the door. I refused and shook my head no. Right at that moment Mr. Walker bear-hugged me and refused to let me go until I said a few self-affirmations out loud. They made me repeat it over and over again. They made me feel like it was August in Philadelphia, and I was on the world stage. Eventually, I broke down in his arms, and he asked me what I wanted beyond the trophy. I told him that I just felt like God wanted me to share that message with a few more people. Something in me broke, and I was no longer attached to an outward win. It dawned on me that I was a winner to MYSELF for even attempting to do such a challenging thing that many people wouldn’t even try.
From that moment on, I was undefeated in both categories of this six-month long contest. From that moment on, before each contest, I was feeling the sensation of that win I had on the inside that day in my classroom with Mr. Walker and Mrs. Kennedy. From that moment on, I made a vow to repeat each affirmation I give my students. From that moment on, I learned how to cheat the mediocrity of my thinking. From that moment on, I’ve been showing my two sons, Kye and Koen, how to cheat like a real winner!
