Young Father Faces Fears and Finds His Voice through Toastmasters

A young father was let go from his job after expressing his desire to spend more time with his wife and two young daughters. Rather than despair at the job loss, he transformed the termination into an opportunity to face his childhood fears and overcome his perceived limitations associated with a congenital physical deformity.

Alex Vivanco of Wanaque, NJ has found his voice through participation in a local Toastmasters Club based in Pompton Plains. Born with pectus excavatum, also known as sunken or funnel chest, several of Vivanco's ribs and his sternum grew abnormally, producing a concave, or caved-in, appearance in the anterior chest wall. He long hid his condition from classmates and colleagues. At his 10-year high-school reunion, he went with the intention of getting the secret out in the open. Although he was slow to take the stage that night, he ultimately and enthusiastically stood up and spoke, quite literally baring "the naked truth" off his chest.

That pivotal event has fueled Vicanco's participation in Toastmasters, a club designed to help people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. Vivanco joined FRC Toastmasters in December 2014 to support his ambition to become an entrepreneur and inspirational leader. In the fall of 2015, Vivanco competed in a series of public speaking competitions at the local, area and division levels.

With his speech, "Superhuman," Vivanco took first place in three Tall Tales Toastmaster public speaking competitions at the local, area and TMI District 83 level, which covers northern NJ, Staten Island and Rockland County. Tall Tales are one genre of speech category that are part of the Toastmasters repertoire. “Tall Tales” competitions challenge participants to create an outrageous claim and tell a story that supports that claim in a three- to five- minute speech.

“The FRC TMI club is proud to be represented by Alex,” said Andrew Paleologos, FRC Toastmaster Club President and one of the original members who founded the club in 2009. “Alex electrifies his audience with his intense energy, enthusiasm, eye contact and physical gestures. In just one year, he has shown remarkable progress in gaining confidence and mastering the art of public speaking, which includes varying voice pitch and tempo, using hand gestures, making eye contact with his audience, and speaking with minimal use of notes. Other benefits include the opportunity build critical thinking skills and become an effective listener.”

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches communication and leadership skills through a worldwide network of more than 14,650 clubs in 126 countries. The FRC Toastmasters (Club #1425822, Area 91, Division I, District 83) meets regularly on the first and third Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in Friendship Hall of the First Reformed Church, which is located at 525 Newark-Pompton Turnpike in Pompton Plains, NJ. For more information about the event and club, please visit FRC.ToastmastersClubs.org.

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., the organization's membership exceeds 332,000 in more than 15,400 clubs in 135 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.