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They are autistic, stuttering, deaf, and will appear on a stage in front of 2,800 spectators, to express themselves by word or gesture. Among the six finalists, there is Ulrich. What was his background, his handicap? How will he get in touch with his audience?
To climb a mountain and feel the vertigo that comes with it, sometimes all you need is a few steps. Ulrich Ambassa Menyié discovers the Parisian hall in which he is performing that evening. He has no stage experience, and he stutters. Sometimes very little, sometimes a lot. The participants in this speech contest all have different disabilities, and each has a speech to deliver. Time for rehearsals. The theme is imposed. Ulrich inherited the routine. His is a ball in the stomach before speaking in front of strangers. “I will deal with“, says the candidate of the competition”all eloquent“.
A six-week program, open to all disabilities
To measure the progress made, we met Ulrich a few days earlier, at his home in Lyon (Rhône). Entering this competition is already a victory, when he thinks back to his college years, in particular. Give up certain words, or no longer speak at all. Ulrich used some tricks to hide his stutter. And then last year he met a new speech therapist. To speech technique, she adds self-confidence. It was she who told him about the eloquence contest, created in 2019. A six-week program, open to all disabilities. From autism to deafness. The 150 participants have made spectacular progress. Because among their coaches, there are former contestants. Six finalists have been selected for the show at the Grand Rex in Paris. Ulrich is one of them. He receives a prize, like all the finalists. And the congratulations of the one who launched this contest, with the universal message.