The First Time─I Participated in the Speech Contest

4131 Kate Ten

Teacher: Susan K. & Steve B.

I remember when I was in the 3rd grade, my school held a speech contest for grade 3 students. At that time, I did not like speaking in public at all. In fact, I was terrified by this event. Every day I thought about what to say for my speech. Even when I was having meals, I was thinking about it. I still remember while my friends were having fun at the playground, I was sitting on my chair and working hard to write my draft. I thought about this assignment all the time. I could not concentrate in class. After class, I gave up watching my favorite TV series and even in my sleep it was still on my mind.

All day and all night, I practiced my speech over and over again. All of a sudden I realized that there aren’t any short-cuts for any contests. Though my parents told me that “All you need to do is to do it step by step, and be patient,” I was still nervous and felt the pressure. Somehow a week before the contest, I had a strong feeling that I was not afraid of anything any more. There was a voice from deep down in my heart that said: Do not be afraid, trust yourself. Be confident and then everything will be fine. This cooled me down. Little by little, I was getting confident and fearless. I realized that when I am confident in myself, there’s nothing to worry about.
Finally, the day of my presentation arrived. I walked to the stage, delivered my speech, and bowed to end my performance. I might not have been the best in the contest, but I had overcome my stage fright. Though I still do not feel comfortable speaking in public, I believe that as long as I try hard, I can overcome my fears and solve many problems.