Meet Grand Finalist, Maxima Olaremu

We are delighted to share that this has been the biggest year ever for Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge. Up to 35,000 students have been trained in over 500 schools across all of London and Essex.

Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge provides year 10 students in state schools across London and Essex with public speaking and communication training to increase their confidence, sense of agency and drive to make a difference in society.

During the academic year, over 500 schools have received a free one-day public speaking workshops for their students. The student’s confidence in speaking to an audience, without notes, is measured at the beginning and at the end of the day. During 2024-2025, 74% of students have increased their confidence to stand up and talk to a group of people. At the end of the day, every school nominates one student to go on to a Regional or Digital Final, where they compete again other school finalists and their speeches are judged based on content delivery, structure and positive impact by a panel of esteemed judges. After going on to win the semi-finals, our 15 inspirational, articulate, and impressive speakers are now ready to present their speech to you!

We will celebrate the achievements of these awe-inspiring young people in the heart of London’s West End at Cambridge Theatre on Monday 7th July and crown the 2025 Speak Out Champion!

In no particular order, meet 2025 Grand Finalist Maxima Olaremu! 

Their speech ‘Writing against the World’ earned them and their school, Harris Girls’ Academy East Dulwich, first place in the Southwark Regional Final. 

We asked Maxima, what three items or people would you choose to take to a desert island and why? 

I would take a notebook, a pen and my imagination because if I’m going to be stuck on a desert island I might as well be stuck with something I love to do.

What is your favourite saying or quote?

It’s “Patience is what brings success to a goal you have been waiting to accomplish” and it’s actually a saying I made up myself to help motivate my friends and I to take our time so that we can get through tasks and complete them successfully.

If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

It would be potatoes because they are such a versatile vegetable that can be add to almost any dish.

What three tips would you give to a Year 7 student? 

They would be: one = Do what you believe is right and don’t let people peer pressure you. Two =Have the confidence to do things you are interested in, even if you’re scared. Three = Fear is what makes bravery noble so even if your scared try and do it anyway because who knows it may turn out amazing.

Why did you choose to speak about this subject? 

I chose to speak about writing because writing gave me a voice, it helped me be heard when I thought no one was listening to me. It gave me a weapon, a power that many people overlook because they think it’s uninteresting and boring when really it has helped build the past and mould the future, and I know writing hasn’t just helped me be heard, I know it has given the world a voice.

How would you like people to think/act differently after hearing your story?

I would like people to start writing more, because some people don’t understand how powerful writing truly is. You can create opportunities and futures for yourself just by writing down a few words, you could change somebodies life just by writing them a letter or sending them an email, you could inspire a kid to do something great when they are older just by writing a story. Writing gives people the voice that they have longed for. It gives us that freedom of speech that we aren’t truly using, it helps open our minds to new horizons and helps us discover things that we didn’t even know about ourselves. Writing can create things and destroy them, rise things and crash them back down, move things and stop them. Writing is one of our greatest weapons, so if anyone was to take anything from my speech I would want it to be the motivation to write more.

Best of luck Maxima and see you at the Grand Final on July 7th!