Introvert competes for title of 'world champion of public speaking'

TORONTO - Aug. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- Sethu Kotharamath was too shy to strike up conversations with strangers. All that changed two years ago for the systems analyst when he joined the Toastmasters club at the company where he works.

Whether it's calming an irate customer with computer problems or addressing an audience of 200 people, Sethu now speaks with confidence, conviction and, oftentimes, humour.

Sethu's nerves will be tested on Aug. 23 when he represents Toronto and Eastern Ontario in the semi-final round of Toastmasters International speech contest in Chicago, Illinois. He will compete against top speakers from 100 districts around the world, a notable accomplishment for the Kerala, India native who immigrated to Canada seven years ago and speaks Malayalam as his first language.

Speech contests are a Toastmasters tradition. Competition begins at the club level, with winners advancing through the area, division and district levels. Sethu won the District 60 International Speech contest this past April. By the time he heads to Chicago, he will have practiced his speech more than 100 times to many of the 210 Toastmasters clubs in the Toronto district to fine-tune the content, his voice quality and body language.

Whether Sethu wins and advances to the championship finals all come down to a seven-minute, humorous speech about keeping your head held high.

About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization's membership exceeds 352,000 in more than 16,400 clubs in 141 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.

For more information, media may contact:

Sethu Kotharamath at sethumgk@gmail.com or 647-717-7416

Aneeta Pathak, District 60 Public Relations Manager at prm@toastmasters60.com or 416-721-4715


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