Redlands Man Vying For Chance To Become World Champion Of Public Speaking

REDLANDS, CA — A Redlands resident is vying for a chance to compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking.

Thomas Lynch has advanced to the District 12 level of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest, the world’s largest speech competition.

Lynch and fellow contestants will compete from 8:15 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at the District 12 Spring Conference, 11200 Baseline Road in Rancho Cucamonga.

The winner will advance for a chance to compete in the Toastmasters semifinals and ultimately the World Championship of Public Speaking.

Lynch has outperformed hundreds of Toastmasters participants in club-, area-, and division-level contests.

He is a member of Y We Speak Redlands Toastmasters Club #71888 and owner of Dream2Inspire Life and Communication LLC.

He joined Toastmasters to strengthen his leadership and communication skills.

“People connect when your message sounds like a real conversation instead of a performance,” Lynch said. “Your audience isn’t waiting for you to impress them — they’re waiting for you to reach them.”

The Toastmasters International Speech Contest began in 1938 and now includes approximately 30,000 participants from 144 countries. Each year, the competition culminates in the World Championship of Public Speaking, held at the organization’s annual International Convention.

To learn more, visit toastmasters.org.