We would like to congratulate Christian Turianskyj, one of our long-time Toastmasters members, for having recently received the Toastmasters “Advanced Communicator – Gold” award.

This award attests of Christian having further developed his Toastmasters skills both inside and outside of the club environment by participating in advanced programs, speaker series, and workshops, as well as leadership and volunteer opportunities.

(Left-to-right: Christian, Italo)

Christian sent us an article he wrote for this website, which we are hereby sharing with you:

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BLOODIED, BUT NOT DEFEATED.

The Toastmaster of the Evening, a very experienced member of our St. Lawrence Toastmasters Club, stood up and shouted: Bloodied, but not defeated. This cry from the heart was his reaction to my evaluation, as General Evaluator. His performance, as I saw it, ran from the excellent to a few definite don’ts.

These words ring true for many Toastmasters around the world.

When new members join a Toastmaster Club, they dive into the unknown. Facing an audience, perhaps for the first time, they expose themselves, during the Icebreaker, especially their weaknesses as speakers. The wavering voice, the trembling hands, the beads of sweat on their forehead reveal the stress and fear of public speaking which they bravely endeavor to conquer.

Others hit stumbling blocks in their quest to become better speakers. An older member of our Club used to be stiff as a ramrod, keeping both arms rigidly straight down his tall frame, hands clenched. With time, he freed his hands and now effectively uses meaningful gestures in his corporate presentations around the world. Another speaker, afflicted from age five with severe stuttering was barely able, at first, to say his name. He would stand before us at the podium, during agonizing minutes, eyes bulging with the strain, trying to speak. He revealed himself eventually to be a great motivational speaker using flowery language. A DTM crowned his immense effort to break his handicap. More recently, a six feet, burly speaker, set on his goal of reaching the World Championship of Public Speaking, forcefully started his contest speech at our club. I was rooting for him but then total silence. The emotional content of his speech had somehow overcome him. He stopped and sat down, dejected. That same speech, however, carried him to the District Level as he stormed back into competition the following year.

The words: Bloodied, but not defeated struck me as representative of all those Toastmasters who, despite handicaps, fears, setbacks or bad evaluations, have never admitted defeat. It was time, I thought, to render testimony to those courageous and persevering individuals who come out from this Toastmasters undertaking bloodied but not defeated with a sense of confidence that, through this process, their life would be enhanced.

Christian Turianskyj, ATMG number 329262
St. Lawrence Toastmasters Club
Club 606, District 61
May 2015