Speak to Inspire interviewed Edith about her experience as a public speaker and what the coaching in preparation for her TED talk has brought her.


Customer
Edith Bosch is the most successful female judoka in the Netherlands. During her impressive career she became world champion, European champion, multiple Dutch champion in the up to 70 kg class and won three medals at the Olympic Games. In 2013 Edith won the RTL program Expedition Robinson and in 2016 she released her book 'Expedition Edith'. From the combination of top-level sports, high-level performance and behavioral science interests, Edith started focusing on coaching and presenting on topics such as sustainable performance, resilience, passion, mindfulness and work/life balance.

Event
TEDxMaastricht. TEDx speakers are invited to give "the presentation of a lifetime" on "ideas worth spreading.

For you, where does the power of a good presentation lie?
"For me, the most important thing is to inspire people. To think carefully as a speaker what you come to bring to the audience. What's in it for them? That doesn't mean you can always please everyone, but if you've given one person a new perspective or managed to touch them, that's already great!"

Why did you start with a presentation coach from Speak to Inspire?
"In my current work I speak a lot at events, organizations and on television, but a TED talk is something different. There is a strict format in which I can tell my story in a maximum of 12 minutes. I had to learn the art of omission. How do you get to your core message and tell it with fewer words? In addition, TED talks allow less contact with the audience which I normally enjoy.

What have the coaching sessions with Rutger given you?
"Together with Rutger Mollee, my coach from Speak to Inspire, I have colored my story with personal experience. He also gave me valuable feedback on my talk. I enjoyed having a coach who looked at my presentation objectively and connected the dots. With his keen eye, he pointed out to me the finesse of small gestures, dropping silences, taking it easy, putting your feelings into the story. Presenting is not just about communicating with words, there is so much more to it: conveying feelings, inspiring, opening up. That has really been the added value of my coaching for me. I can't get enough feedback on that. After all, there is always room for improvement!"

The coach's view
Rutger Mollee: "It was wonderful to coach Edith, she is incredibly eager to learn! After the coaching I understood even better why she has become a top judoka. She is very coachable, sets the bar high and picks up instructions quickly. Never afraid to try something. This allowed Edith to exceed her own expectations. The audience therefore rewarded her after her TED talk with thunderous applause. Great that with her speaking experience she has really reached another next level."