Anthony Church, ‘S-Stammering: Normality Is an Illusion’
St Catherine’s College proudly presents the second talk in the Trinity Edition of Catz in Conversation – our all-new webinar series by alumni, for everyone.
On Wednesday, 3rd June at 6pm, Anthony Church (1977, Chemistry) present a powerful reflection on a lifetime of living with a stammer, challenging assumptions about communication, identity, and what it means to appear ‘normal’. Drawing on deeply personal experience, he will reflect on the realities of stammering – from blocks and repetition to the less visible impact of self-doubt and resilience – and how these have shaped both his personal and professional life.
Anthony will explore how stammering interacts with confidence, leadership, and public speaking, and how perceived limitations need not define outcomes. He will consider the unpredictable nature of speech, the balance between conscious and subconscious control, and the broader question of why stammering affects around 3% of the UK population, yet remains poorly understood.
He will speak about the emotional and psychological dimensions of stammering, including the concept of ‘covert’ stammering, introducing a new analogy: the ‘iceberg’ demonstrates how the visible aspects of speech mask a much deeper internal experience. Anthony will also identify some celebrity stammerers, before closing the talk with a live Q and A session.
Anthony Church
Anthony Church (1977, Chemistry) spent the majority of his career in IT, including in senior management roles. At John Lewis, where he worked from 1982 to 2019, Anthony led teams of over 100 people.
He has lived and worked in the UK, Spain, and Ireland, and now resides in Galway following his retirement in 2019.
Alongside his professional career, he has raised a family with five children and five grandchildren, and is currently involved as a volunteer puppy raiser for Irish Guide Dogs.
Anthony has lived with a stammer all his life. Through this talk, he will bring together personal insight, professional experience, and a lifelong commitment to increasing understanding of stammering as a complex and commonly misunderstood condition.
To secure your place at our full term of online talks, please see here. All talks in the series are scheduled for either a lunchtime (1-2pm) or an evening (6-7pm) slot. All are free to attend and open to all. Lasting 45 minutes and followed by an audience Q&A, these talks are the perfect chance to strengthen your professional network, to advance your knowledge, and to hear from past generations of Catz alumni working in future-forward fields.
All webinars are hosted on Zoom. Unless stated otherwise, they are recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel.
Date
3 June, 2026
Time
6 - 7pm
Venue
Online, via Zoom
Price
Free