District 7 Toastmasters Announces Winner of International Speech Contest

PORTLAND, Ore., May 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Quint Crispin, 41, of Beaverton, Oregon, is one step closer to the title of World Champion of Public Speaking. Crispin took first place at the Toastmasters District 7 International Speech Contest on May 6 in Wilsonville, Oregon, earning him the privilege to compete in August with 90 other semifinalists at the Toastmasters International Convention in Vancouver, B.C.

Crispin's speech, Moments of Crisis, kept the audience rocking with laughter as he poked fun at himself. "I joined Toastmasters because I was tired of the sick feeling in my stomach and sweaty palms every time I gave a status report at work," Crispin said. "I put off visiting a club for two years because why on earth would I want to do more of what was making me ill? I should have joined much sooner. I can't believe how miserable I was worrying about speaking in public. Just this year I felt some of those feelings returning at a higher-level meeting, and I made a personal commitment to do more speeches and enter the International Speech Contest. You might say it's a 'winning' formula."

This year's Toastmasters International Speech Contest began in February with over 30,000 contestants in 142 countries. In the semifinal round, Crispin will compete against speakers from across the United States, as well as China and India.

According to speech contest rules, Crispin is also creating a completely new speech, which he will present if he advances past the semifinals to the championship on August 25. Members of District 7 and previous contest winners are extending offers to help him polish and perfect his speeches.

While Toastmasters International provides contestants with airfare, they are responsible for the rest of their expenses. To help offset the cost of hotel, convention registration, and meals, Crispin established a GoFundMe account at https://www.gofundme.com/District7Champ2017.

Crispin is a member of Walker Talkers Toastmasters Club in Beaverton. He graduated from Oregon State University in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in industrial and manufacturing engineering. He is a design engineer for Leupold & Stevens, Inc., an American, family-owned, fifth-generation company that has been designing, machining and assembling precision optical instruments and other products for 110 years.

About District 7 Toastmasters

District 7 represents 173 Toastmasters clubs in Oregon, Southwest Washington and Northern California. For more information, please visit www.d7toastmasters.org.

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 Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, the organization's membership exceeds 345,000 in more than 15,900 clubs in 142 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience.

Media Contact:
Phyllis Harmon
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SOURCE District 7 Toastmasters

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