He did it!
After his outstanding performance at the District Conference, where he won 3 golden medals and 1 silver, we all knew Cyril Junior Dim is an exceptional speaker.
The judges at the European quarterfinals were of the same opinion.
Cyril advanced to the semifinals of the International Speech Contest, where he will compete with 27 other speakers.
Let’s hear what Cyril has to say about this great achievement!
Q1: How did you learn about this success? Funny story… my phone blew up on the morning of July 1st, and I was quite confused for a bit. Old friends, colleagues saying congratulations. Then I opened up my mailbox and there it was, right at the top, the email I had been waiting for. It all made sense then. Q2: What did you feel at that moment? In a word… disoriented. I ran out of my room screaming at the top of my lungs. I’ve never seen my housemate so petrified. All I could say was, “I’m going to the World Championships!!!” He didn’t share my excitement… Because of me, he had burnt his toast. But then I started calling everyone, Zain, my girlfriend, my Grandmother, just to share the good news. I woke Grandma up at 2 a.m, she was so excited. It was such an unreal feeling!
Q3: What are your preparation plans? Speak, Speak, SPEAK!!! I’m chasing Ryan Avery in every sense of his World Championship run, including exposing myself as much as possible to the speaking arena. I’d be happy to go over a new method of receiving feedback that I’ve devised, but that’s for later. Q4: What form will the contest have? Two rounds, both online. Round 1 are the semi-finals on August 25th and 26th. 8 speakers, top 2 advance. Round 2, the finals, will come on August 29th. My speeches will be pre-recorded in case of any tech-glitches, and I may also have a select few viewing me perform live. I got goosebumps saying it out loud! Q5: The District would like to support you. How could we help? I’d be eternally grateful for any opportunities I can get to speak in different clubs. The feedback needs to be more aggressive now…I’m not working to just make a speech, I’m working to make a moment, and it can’t happen if I am drunk at the table of praise and soft words. |
