More Than a Competition: My Speech Olympiad Story

By Malsiluni Gihanthi Munasinghe

“Are you Madhushika’s sister?”

Four words I dreaded hearing more than exam results. They were the last words I wanted to hear on my first day at university. Yet they came from a girl with Rapunzel-like hair. As it turned out, my sister was an alumna of Gavel Club, and this girl had once been her mentee. Later, I learned that she was none other than Ami Akka. The best part? She was a senior from my own department. At a time when I knew absolutely nothing about university life, she somehow seemed to have answers for every question I didn’t even know I had. She told me what to expect, what mistakes to avoid, and how to survive those first overwhelming weeks. Looking back, that guidance was a blessing.

Ironically, I am the kind of person who usually avoids following in my sister’s footsteps. If she joined something, I would often look for a different path. But Gavel Club was different. Something about it drew me in. Within two weeks of joining the University of Moratuwa, I had registered for the Speech Olympiad XVII.

To be honest, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into. I entered the university on 31st December. By 19th February, I was standing on a stage delivering a speech. Even now, that feels unreal. I knew it was a speech competition. That was about it.

Then I was assigned a mentor: Malintha Ayya.

I still remember our first meeting. “I have no idea what I’m supposed to say.” That was probably the only useful contribution I made to the conversation. Yet he never made me feel foolish for not knowing. Instead, he patiently guided me through every step, helping me turn random thoughts into a speech. Along the way, Ami Akka, Saeedha Akka, Linoja Akka, and many others gave ideas, feedback, and encouragement. By the day before the competition, I somehow had a complete speech.

The confidence, however, wasn’t mine. I borrowed it from the people around me.

Then came the competition. And honestly? I messed up. I forgot parts of my speech. I stumbled over sections I had practiced repeatedly. I walked off the stage feeling like I had failed.

But the people who had helped me saw things differently. While I was focused on everything that went wrong, they were celebrating the fact that I had found the courage to step onto the stage. They weren’t disappointed. They were proud. At a time when I was only seeing my failures, they saw my potential. That encouragement pushed me to keep going.

It pushed me to apply for more competitions, challenge myself, and step onto stages I never imagined I would stand on. But more importantly, it taught me something about Speech Olympiad. Speech Olympiad is not a place where people compete to prove they are better than each other. It is a place where people help each other become better than they were yesterday. And I think that is what makes it special.

Instead of giving up, I applied for another competition—Best Speaker, an inter-university speech competition organized by the University of Kelaniya. Once again, I wasn’t alone. Ami Akka, Sasindi Akka, Malintha Ayya, Saeedha Akka, Hemindi Akka, Illam Ayya, Neela Akka, and many others spent their time helping me improve. Even Kasun Ayya, who was in Singapore at the time, took time out of his schedule to help refine my speech. When I stepped onto the stage again, any improvement people saw was not mine alone. It was the result of countless people sharing their time, knowledge, and belief with me. What amazed me most was that many of these people were competitors themselves. Ami Akka, Sasindi Akka, illam Ayya and Neela Akka were participating in the same competition. My another meaningful memories comes from the Best Speaker semi-finals. The speech I delivered was about my sister and how she had always stood beside me.

Ironically, she could not be there that day. Before I went on stage, Ami Akka told me,

“When you talk about your sister, look at me.”

It was such a simple sentence. Yet when I stood on that stage, nervous and uncertain, and looked towards her, it genuinely felt like my sister was there. I could see how proud she looked. And for a moment, I wasn’t speaking to an audience. I was speaking to family. Those are the moments I remember most. Not the rankings. Not the certificates. Not even the competitions themselves.

The people.

People who stayed after meetings to help with scripts. People who spent hours giving feedback. People who celebrated your progress as if it were their own. People who reminded you that growth matters more than perfection.

Another memory that always stays with me is seeing Neela Akka become the winner of Speech Olympiad XVII while Ami Akka became the runner-up. What made it special was knowing that Ami Akka had mentored both of us. Even while competing herself, she never stopped helping others grow.

That is what Speech Olympiad has always been. A community that grows together. Which is why this year’s theme, Rise Within. Reign Beyond., feels so meaningful. Because every journey begins with a rise within. The trembling hands. The racing heartbeat. The fear of judgment. The doubt that whispers, “What if I’m not good enough? “Every participant faces that fire. Yet growth begins the moment you choose to step into it. And when you do, you discover something incredible. You are not stepping into that fire alone. There will always be mentors, friends, seniors, and fellow contestants ready to help you rise. And one day, you’ll find yourself doing the same for someone else. That is the reign beyond. No influence built through trophies. But influence is built through encouragement, mentorship, and growth.

So if you’re hesitating because you’re scared, uncertain, or convinced you’re not ready, remember this: On my first day, I was just a confused first-year student who barely knew what Speech Olympiad was. A few weeks later, I was standing on a stage. Not because I was fearless. But because people helped me find the courage to try.

Every confident speaker was once terrified. Every great speech began as a rough draft. Every Phoenix began in the ashes. Do not ignore the spark within you simply because you cannot yet see the fire. Take the first step. Trust the process. Let yourself grow. Because when you choose to rise, you will never have to do it alone. There will be mentors, friends, seniors, and fellow competitors ready to help you become the person you are capable of becoming. That is the spirit of Speech Olympiad.

To learn together.
To grow together.
To rise together.

And ultimately, to become better versions of ourselves.
So come and awaken the Phoenix within you.

Rise Within. Reign Beyond.