Sharmila Kalachand named World Quarter-Final Runner-Up

ELIO dual member Sharmila Kalachand placed as Runner-Up at the 2026 Toastmasters International Speech Contest World Quarter Final, after a run through Area, Division, and District wins.

ELIO Toastmasters Club celebrates an extraordinary achievement from TM Sharmila Kalachand, named Runner-Up at the 2026 Toastmasters International Speech Contest World Quarter Final. A dual member of ELIO and Solitaire Toastmasters Club, Sharmila's run to the world stage began with a first-place finish at the Area F04 Contest, continued through a win at the Division F Contest, and culminated in the District 129 International Speech Contest Championship, before placing among the best speakers in Toastmasters International.

Beyond the results, members describe Sharmila as someone who leads through kindness as much as through skill, whether mentoring a fellow member, offering feedback, or delivering a speech herself. As Assistant Division Director for Division E, she continues to lead with humility and purpose, a reminder that leadership in Toastmasters begins with service.

Her advice to members considering a step outside their comfort zone is characteristically simple: say yes. Say yes to learning, to stepping outside your comfort zone, and to the opportunities that challenge you, because one yes can open the door to the next.