Tyler Redway
CALLUM McIntyre emerged as the winner at the Lions Club Youth of the Year Zone Final last Wednesday for an inspiring speech on renewable energy.
Callum will now go on to represent Zone 11 of the Lions in a state competition later this year after coming out on top of three other finalists.
He managed to beat Annapurna Anbu, Alisha Cram and Rochelle Crawford in the impromptu questions and the main speeches.
Callum said it was a great opportunity for people to be able to hear his voice and understand why the topic he spoke about was so important to him.
He added he had previously made it to the same position last year, but was knocked out of the running by another contestant from Naracoorte.
“It feels great; it means I am now able to show people in Mount Gambier and the Limestone Coast what they want, particularly for the youth,” Callum said.
“Our voices are underheard and now to be able to get through to a state level, hopefully I can prove that to the whole of Australia.
“I feel if we don’t know what is going to happen in our world, then there’s no way we can rectify our mistakes and there’s no way we would be able to tell what is going to happen in the future.
“If we don’t realise this now, then who knows what’s going to happen later on, which is why this topic really does resonate with me.”
Callum said the importance of his topic was to help people understand ways to protect not only the environment, but family members for generations to come.
“It’s empowering to know my voice actually matters here, which is the biggest drawcard I have taken from this.
“I feel we have the choice to go and learn more about this and what is actually going on behind the scenes corporately, commercially and residentially for what our carbon impacts are on the earth.
“I want to know my future and the rest of my family is going to be safe for the many generations that follow me.”
Another winner for the night was Annapurna Anbu, who claimed the Public Speaking award for the Zone Final.
