Talking her way to top honours
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| Marlene van Wyk used humour to win a Southern
African speech championship. |
PORT Elizabeth Toastmaster Marlene van Wyk has beaten the best from six other divisions
in South Africa and seven neighbouring countries to be crowned champion in the
Southern African District Humorous Speech Contest.
Marlene was very proud of her win in Gauteng last month "especially since the contest
has regularly been won by men and this time I was up against some previous winners," she
said.
Marlene, 40, a mother of two, is the first winner the Algoa Toastmasters Club in Port
Elizabeth has produced in its nearly 50 years of existence and is only the second winner
from the Eastern Cape in the past 20 years.
"I spoke against really good speakers and when last year's winner spoke just before me,
I didn't think I had a chance. I decided I was just going to go on to the stage and enjoy
entertaining the audience, no matter what.
"When the results were read out and I wasn't placed in third or second I was so
disappointed that I couldn't believe my ears when my name was read out as the winner. I
feel like I've won an Oscar!" said Marlene.
In fact, she still hasn't come back to earth: "If my ears weren't in the way then my
smile would wrap around my head!"
Her speech, "Say No, you Sucker!" included a tongue-in-cheek commentary on her own
weakness for the plethora of motivational books she has bought over time. She ended by
holding up a poster for her own "best seller" on how to avoid being a sucker for bargains
and self-help books.
The reality is, however, that Marlene is an excellent motivational speaker who often is
invited to speak to young people.
"It's a very male-dominated competition so more than winning I also enjoyed the fact
that I could kick some male butt.
"Men can just do so much more with their voices than women. The men are very, very good
at what they do and their voices don't ever let them down.
"I had to master vocal training, as I tend to get shrill if I get nervous. When you get
up there your voice gets all squeaky and it feels like every second is an eternity.
"It was the longest seven minutes of my life . . . giving birth is much
easier!"
Algoa Club President Ricky Woods said Marlene had them "eating out of her hand. They
were laughing, cheering and clapping throughout her speech in which she poked fun at our
gullibility for buying 'never to be repeated bargain offers'," said Woods.
Not surprisingly, Marlene is one of the backbone members of the Algoa Club's community
outreach programme, which includes short courses in communication skills to the public and
many youth leadership programmes at high schools.
Marlene is also the very popular public speaking advisor to the Port Elizabeth Junior
City Council, where she herself was a councillor 23 years ago.
