Toastmasters International names 7 buzzworthy speeches of 2013

Presentations that captured the attention of a wide audience

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Dec 30, 2013, 07:13 ET

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Dec. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- What makes a speech so interesting that thousands listen in and are moved enough to share? Beyond compelling content and delivery, it's an emotional connection with the audience. Toastmasters International named the following seven speeches to its buzzworthy list of 2013:

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February 26: When Irish rock star and humanitarian Bono spoke at TED2013, in Long Beach, California, to share "The Good News on Poverty," he took the audience on a tour of the developing world, sharing the progress made in reducing extreme poverty. http://ow.ly/qWADa
March 1: in his TED2013 talk "In Search of the Man Who Broke My Neck," former Wall Street Journal reporter Joshua Prager talked about the accident that made him a hemiplegic. "What makes most of us who we are, most of all, is not our minds and not our bodies and not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us." TED.com viewers rank this as one of the most inspiring talks of 2013. http://ow.ly/qWAFK
May 4: In Twitter CEO Dick Costolo's 2013 commencement speech at his alma mater, University of Michigan, he drew on his background in improv theater to encourage graduates to take risks and live in the moment. He was funny and self-deprecating with lines like, "When I was your age we didn't have the Internet … that's how bad it was." http://ow.ly/qWAJs
July 12: Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai spoke at the United Nations after surviving a terrorist attack. With poise well beyond her years, she said, "Today is the day of every woman, every boy and every girl who have raised their voice for their rights. I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard." http://ow.ly/qWALz
July 18: TV anchor newswoman Robin Roberts' speech at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards came after she waged a prolonged battle with breast cancer and myelodysplastic syndrome. Roberts spoke to her viewers and to previous winners of the award: "I draw strength from you." http://ow.ly/qWANp
August 11: Ashton Kutcher's acceptance speech at the 2013 Teen Choice Awards received significant recognition. Expressing his appreciation of every opportunity he has ever had, Kutcher urged the audience to work hard, be smart and build a life rather than to just live one. He said, "The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart. And being thoughtful. And being generous." http://ow.ly/qWAP2
August 24: Bulgarian native Presiyan Vasilev is winner of Toastmasters' 2013 World Championship of Public Speaking, beating 30,000 other contestants with his speech, "Changed by a Tire." The speech became the year's most popular post on the Toastmasters International Facebook page. http://ow.ly/qWBkJ

To learn more about these speeches, link to http://www.toastmasters.org//Buzzworthy2013.

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, California, the organization's membership exceeds 292,000 in more than 14,350 clubs in 122 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, visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.

SOURCE Toastmasters International