Roughly four out of 10 Americans have glossophobia, better known as having a fear of public speaking, and it is even slotted ahead of death, spiders, and a fear of heights.
You can cross Lisa Sims off that list.
Sims, a Psychologist in Counseling and Psychological Services at DeWeese Health Center, participated in the Toastmasters International speech contest after joining in September 2020. Participants – known as Toastmasters – begin at a smaller local level and advance based on how prolific the stories are they can tell in an impromptu fashion. The area contests, held on March 13, were virtual, and Sims competed with other members from Kent, Hudson, Twinsburg, Akron, and Stow. She took first place.
After advancing to the Division Contest, Sims entered herself into what is known as the Tall Tales competition, consisting of presenting a speech on a topic that is highly exaggerated and carries an improbable theme or plot.
In a world where people fear speaking over death, Sims took the challenge on with a bigger goal in mind.
“I decided to become a Toastmaster because I wanted to improve my public and impromptu speaking ability [and] I wanted to pursue the competitions because I thought it would be fun,” she said. “When I was a little girl, I used to enjoy creative writing and felt writing a tall tale would bring me as well as others joy during the pandemic. I had to find ways to deal with the isolation that I was in due to COVID-19 as well as helping manage the stress endured due to the racial pandemic.”
In her most recent competition, in which she finished third, her tall tale consisted of a fictional animal mixed with an aardvark, eagle, and skunk who had the incredible gift to vacuum the air and rid the world of COVID-19. Its name was Schnozzlepuss or Schnozzle for short.
“Although Schnozzle did not have to help mankind rid the earth of the virus, he did anyway because he cared and was empathetic towards us,” she said.
As a COVID-19 survivor and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), Sims felt it was essential to share her story.
“Recently, one of my friends was admitted to the hospital because of COVID-19, and I dedicated my last performance to him,” she said. “Although I did not win, I am satisfied with my third-place recognition.”
Not only did her stories provide much joy, but they gave her a chance to find out a little more about herself she might not have known.
“I was able to observe other’s speeches and realized I could use props and sound effects for my speech,” said Sims. “I learned that I still love creative writing, and I have an active imagination, [along with] using my body to make my speeches come alive.”
Sims says the future is bright for future competitions.
“If I compete next year, I am looking forward to the things that will inspire me to write my next story,” she said.
For more information on Toastmasters International, please visit https://www.toastmasters.org/