Post Falls man semifinalist in Toastmasters national speech contest

Frank Briggs is letting his speeches do the talking.

The Post Falls man qualified as a semifinalist in Toastmasters International's World Championship of Public Speaking Aug. 18-20 in Washington, D.C.

"I'm excited to represent District 9 and am looking forward to competing on a much larger stage in Washington, D.C.," he said. "Toastmasters speech contests are a fantastic tool to build your confidence because you sharpen your speaking skills while connecting with many different audiences.

"I'm a little anxious (about the international stage), but I'm more excited to get there and get it done. I've been trying to do this for the past 11 years and this is my first opportunity to go this far."

The 58-year-old Briggs, a member of Coeur d'Alene Toastmasters No. 247, won the district contest in Spokane Valley in May when he competed against 121 other competitors from the region.

His inspirational speech called "Journeys" inspires people to reconnect with those they've lost touch with. It's a storyline everyone in the audience can relate to, he said.

Briggs, who works as a customer service representative at Horizon Distributors in Hayden, will make the same speech in the national semifinal round, except he has made alterations to fit an international audience.

"The changes were made because either they don't understand some references or they may be considered offensive," he said. "The alterations that have been made have enhanced the speech immensely."

Ninety-eight district-level winners from around the world advanced to the semifinals after six months of contests. Their 5- to 7-minute speeches are judged on content, organization, gestures and style.

At the national event, there will be 10 semifinal rounds. Each round will have one winner advance to the final round on Aug. 20.

If Briggs advances to the final round, he'll deliver his "What if" speech on how to overcome fear. He'll reference his experiences on the Hiawatha Trail and a zip line on Schweitzer Mountain.

The Toastmasters International Speech Contest is the world's largest speech contest involving more than 30,000 participants from 135 countries.

Briggs joined the nonprofit Toastmasters in October 2004 to become a better speaker and leader at work and in the community.

"You never stop growing personally or professionally," he said, referring to the reason he has stayed involved for 12 years. "Once you get into it, it's not easy to walk away. I like people hearing and enjoying the message I have to share."

When Briggs returns from the contest, he said he plans to work on a new nonprofit he's forming to educate, mentor and empower youths to become involved in community-service projects.