She considers public speaking as a platform that is “nerve wracking at the best of times and this event was particularly challenging.” When she spoke at the competition, she felt she was expected to be entertaining and would be judged if I she was not.
“I frequently told jokes and was faced with stony silence,” she said. She said she was surprised when she made it into the national public speaking team. People who speak at this championship are expected to be engaging, funny and responsive.
“Although I could never make the Lithuanians laugh, and so eventually stopped trying, the impromptu section was thrilling. I got two minutes to prepare a five-minute speech. No notes were allowed, but a healthy dose of feat was obligatory,” said Buckland. She said the best way to tackle it was to believe in what she was saying during the speech.
“I alluded to the beautiful lakes and forest of Lithuania, as well as their sad history and drew an analogy between their history and ours,” stated Buckland.
They too have only been a full democracy for less than thirty years. They too are the descendants of the oppressed. I got to communicate messages that are important and universal, regardless of the circumstances in which they were said,” she added.
