(Darren Tay, the 2016 Toastmasters International world champion of public speaking, during his winning speech, “Outsmart; Outlast.”Toastmasters International)

Darren Tay, a 27-year-old Singaporean lawyer, became the 2016 Toastmasters International world champion of public speaking in August, surviving several rounds of a competition that lasted six months and included more than 30,000 competitors from Toastmasters’ public speaking clubs around the world.

On Saturday, August 20, 27-year-old Singaporean lawyer Darren Tay became the Toastmasters International world champion of public speaking. He survived several rounds of a competition that lasted six months and included more than 30,000 competitors from Toastmasters public speaking clubs around the world.

He and nine other finalists competed at the Toastmasters annual convention, held this year at Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. Tay took home first place for his speech “Outsmart; Outlast,” in which he tells the story of how he met a childhood bully as an adult, and how this reformed bully surprisingly taught him a valuable insight about dealing with inner struggles.

A 27-year-old lawyer became the first Singaporean to win the World Championship of Public Speaking in Washington, DC on Saturday (Aug 20).

Mr Darren Tay, a regular member of Punggol Park Community Centre Toastmasters Club, beat out nine other orators to take the top spot at the annual public speaking competition.

According to Toastmasters International District 80, which manages clubs in Singapore, he is the second Singaporean representative to have made it to the competition’s final round. Last year, Mr Manoj Vasudevan clinched third place.

Darren Tay, a 27-year-old Singaporean lawyer, became the 2016 Toastmasters International world champion of public speaking in August, surviving several rounds of a competition that lasted six months and included more than 30,000 competitors from Toastmasters public speaking clubs around the world.

He’s been refining his public speaking skills since he was in high school, and in 2009 he founded the Public Speaking Academy in Singapore.

A 27-YEAR-OLD lawyer became the first Singaporean to win the World Championship of Public Speaking in Washington, DC on Saturday.

Darren Tay, a regular member of Punggol Park Community Centre Toastmasters Club, beat nine other orators to take the top spot at the annual competition.

According to Toastmasters International District 80, which manages clubs in Singapore, Mr Tay is the second Singaporean representative to have made it to the competition’s final round, after Manoj Vasudevan clinched third place last year.

The World Championship of Public Speaking has been held by Toastmasters International since 1938, with a two-year break during World War II.

Originally an offshoot of the Young Men’s Christian Association, Toastmasters International is a global network of clubs that promotes public speaking.

According to Toastmasters International District 80, which manages clubs in Singapore, Mr Tay is the second Singaporean representative to have made it to the competition’s final round, after Manoj Vasudevan clinched third place last year.

The World Championship of Public Speaking has been held by Toastmasters International since 1938, with a two-year break during World War II.

Originally an offshoot of the Young Men’s Christian Association, Toastmasters International is a global network of clubs that promotes public speaking.

It has more than 345,000 members across 142 countries.

In order to qualify for the world championship, club representatives must first compete and win at the local level.