"There was a chance, but I didn't think I was going to win. I was just doing my best."
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Flynn Bunn ended the school year on a high, receiving his medal for winning a statewide public speaking competition.
The Griffith East Public School student won the Year 3 and 4 age division in the NSW Multicultural Perspectives Speaking Competition.
Competing against students from across the state, Flynn reached the finals, where he gave his prepared three-and-a-half minute speech about how the Olympics helps break barriers.
"I spoke about how these displaced people, who don't have a country to compete for in the Olympics, have been given a chance to compete for the refugee team," Flynn said.
He was also given five minutes to prepare a speech on a random topic given on the day, in which he spoke about breaking rules, and how it's "not always a bad thing". The final two stages of the competition were hosted digitally, and Flynn said while it did throw him off slightly, it also helped calm his nerves.
"I was kind of nervous ... but because it was on a Zoom screen, even though I was talking to people, it didn't feel like I was."
Flynn said his prepared speech and his public speaking were perfected through weeks of tweaking based off feedback, as well as building off what he learnt last year, when he finished second at the local final. To reach the state finals this year, Flynn had performed his Olympics speech at class level, local level, and regional level, passing through to the next stage each time.
His teacher, Rhys Thomas, was full of praise for him and the work he had put in.
"It was really good to see Flynn working that hard, and it's paid off for him," he said.
"He was always very keen to refine and revise his work ... even though he had gone through each level, he was still working on his speech regularly and practising."
On the final day of the school year, Flynn received his winner's medal and a medal for reaching the finals, at a school assembly.