Club Contest Speech 2025

The Inspiration Behind This Speech

This content of this speech was originally the introduction of my Club Contest Speech 2025 – “I Learn! I Grow! I Evolve!”

Whenever I write my script for a prepared speech, it is usually very long and I have to remove more than 50 percent of my script to fit my speech into a 7-minute duration. My original script consisted of 3 parts:

• My fear of talking to strangers
• My fear of many foods
• My struggle with learning the English language

In my Club Contest Speech in the year 2024, I used the third portion on my struggle with learning the English language, for my speech. For my Club Contest Speech in the year 2025, I have chosen to use the first portion on my fear of talking to strangers, for my speech.

Club International Speech Contest

“I Change! I Adapt! I Survive!”  was the speech I used for Toastmasters International Speech Contest in 2025 where I won 1st runner-up at the club level.

• International Speech Contest
• Speaker: Daniel Sun
• The Open Alumni Toastmasters Club International Speech Contest held on 20 February 2025
• Title: I Change! I Adapt! I Survive!

My Fear Of Strangers

“Day after day, I must face a world of strangers where I don’t belong. I’m not that strong.” (Sing to the tune of Carpenter’s “I Won’t Last A Day Without You”)

Contest Chair, fellow toastmasters.

Growing up was an experience filled with fear, pain and challenges. I was born into a world which is full of strange and unfamiliar things … THAT … I was unsure of, THAT … I was afraid of. (pause) What were these things? (pause)

People whom I called … strangers

During my childhood, the fear that I faced were the people outside my immediate family.

(Slowly) That included my relatives.

Whenever some relatives visited my family, I would quickly run to my room (run and turn backwards, push an imaginary door towards the audience) and shut the door. A particular uncle would even come up to my room and knock on the door, calling out, “Daniel, open the door!” That sent my heartbeat racing even faster. Naturally, when I faced complete strangers, I dared not speak to them.

My Kindergarten Days

Very soon, it was time that I had to go to school. When I was in the kindergarten, … (emphasize slowly) I did not say a word to anyone.

Yes, that included the teacher. The first thing the teacher did in the morning was to take our attendance. When our names were called, we would stand up and shout, “Present!”

However, when my name was called, I only stood up, but I remained silent. The teacher would glare at me and shouted, “Dummy!”

Yes! For two full years in kindergarten, I was called a dummy every morning.

My Primary Schooldays

What about my primary schooldays? Back in kindergarten, we were never called upon to answer questions by teachers. Do you remember how it was like in primary school? The teachers would regularly call upon the students to answer questions. To check on their attentiveness during lessons. To check if they’ve done their work. Imagine the scoldings and humiliations that followed when you failed to answer the teachers’ questions. Imagine me, Daniel Sun, stood up when called upon and remained … silent.

(Wave my finger in the air.)

No, no, no, no …

Let me tell you that I am not a fixed point. I am not a stationary point that does not move. As challenging and terrible it may be to me; I change, I adapt, I survive.

I made a slight improvement in primary school. I would reply to my teachers whenever necessary, such as time when I was called upon to answer questions. Still, I could hear my heartbeat racing within my chest as I spoke out in class.

I could hear the vibration of the sound waves of my vocal cord and my turbo-powered heartbeat bombarding against each other within my body, pounding loudly in my ear drums; but … I made a point to speak … only … to the teachers.

Nevertheless, for six straight years during my primary schooldays, I still did not say a word to my classmates, or any students in the same school, younger or older. When I needed to communicate, I would write what I needed to say on a piece of paper. My peers all accepted that it was who I was. That was Daniel Sun … (pause) Toastmaster Daniel Sun.

My Biggest Decision To Begin Speaking To Strangers

However, could you imagine anyone living his life that way, not speaking to anyone? How is such a person going to survive in this world? I am aware of that. I have thought about it. In fact, I am a person who thinks a lot. I had many years throughout my childhood to think about that. I change, I adapt, I survive.

The day I stepped into my secondary school, I decided that I would open my mouth and speak, not only to my teachers, but to my peers as well. Was I afraid? Of course I was. I could feel my heart beating strongly moments before I opened my mouth to speak to a schoolmate for the first few times. I was extremely uncomfortable hearing my own voice and feeling awkward how other people think about the sound of my voice. However, from then on, I have been talking to everyone around me since my secondary schooldays.

That was a very big decision, a very important decision that changed my life.

My primary school classmates commented this regularly about me.

“Last time, he wouldn’t say a word. Now, he is very talkative. He is so different that I do not know who he is.”

Conclusion

Imagine me, serving my National Service, and wouldn’t say a word. How do I count when I am doing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups if I remain silent?

(Fold my arm and pretend to be an army commander.)

“Don’t know how to count, right? Good! Zero! Keep doing.”

Imagine a teacher who does not speak to the students. Actually, I did encounter a trainee teacher who did not speak to the students nor her colleagues. Needless to say, she did not pass her teaching practicum. They did not let her become a teacher.

Imagine how would I court a lady.

(Use hand gesture. Imitate the mute nurse in the Japanese drama, “Heaven’s Coin”. Point to myself. Point away from myself to someone imaginary. Rub the top of of my left hand with my right hand.)

I learned that from the Japanese drama, “Heaven’s Coin”. Has anyone watched “Heaven’s Coin”? That meant “watashi wa anata o aishiteru”.

Unimaginable! How am I going to live my life if I am too afraid to speak to anyone? Yes, I’ve thought about that. A step at a time, at different point in my life.

I change! I adapt! I survive!

And now, I am speaking in a Toastmasters Speech Contest.

Back to you, Contest Chair!