Healing: Vulnerability for the Win

Healing was a beautiful night of powerful, poignant, emotional storytelling. Held online in June 2022, the competition drew more than 70 entrants who submitted videos, with ten finalists selected to share their stories in front of the judges and the Speaker Slam® community.

Every one of the top ten put themselves out there, and it paid off. It was vulnerability for the win, and for the speakers who did not make the finals, the message from the night was simple: keep trying. Many of the speakers on that stage worked their way up into the top ten over time.

1st Place: Justin Senense

Justin took the gold with a performance that was out of this world. His shock at winning was even more adorable than the speech itself, and he was welcomed into the Speaker Slam® community that night.

2nd Place: Daniel Burns

Daniel placed second with incredible storytelling that captured what it means to face the hardest moments and come through them.

3rd Place: Tania Chomyk

Tania took third with a story told with the kind of honesty this theme was built for. She has since returned to the Speaker Slam® stage as a competitor in The Underdog 2025.

4th Place: Donald Carr rounded out the top four.

Meet the Judges Who Made It All Happen

• Eric Edmeades
• Angela Lauria
• Stephanie Burns Robertozzi

The judges donated their evening and their prizes, and their feedback was on point. Helping speakers get better is the best prize of all.

Unforgettable Moments

The Speaker Slam® Academy members showed up in full force to love, honour, and support the top ten. That is all heart and class.

Healing was the last online competition before Speaker Slam® returned to the live stage. Next up was The Comeback, live at Lula Lounge in Toronto on August 16th, 2022.