James de Lange

Growing up with a stutter is not easy, as all of us who stutter know and will most certainly agree with me!

I’ve been stuttering since I can remember as a young boy of 4,5 years old. All throughout primary school and almost through my high school career until the beginning of my matric, final year in high school. A family member stumbled on the McGuire Programme while listening to a radio interview with a McGuire Graduate at that time. I get told to have a look at the website. Find it unbelievable and immediately make plans to get hold of these people, not myself though as I was ashamed of my stutter and not able to communicate over the phone, the fear was there!

So through family members helping me out, I am booked on the course in over a months time! The McGuire Programme has changed my life in so many ways, one way I would like to share…

After finishing school, with the confidence in myself and my speech, I applied to do a Personal Training course in Exercise Science, which meant training people, talking to them and being confident in my speaking abilities, which was very hard at first but I managed very well using the breathing technique and other tools learnt on the programme… I have now graduated from that course and am a qualified Personal Trainer and Entrepreneur. As well as a member of Toast Masters with a few speeches behind me and many more to come…

I thank God every day for this change in my life and also for The McGuire Programme!