The only woman in the Vietnamese team competing in the 2025 International Math Olympiad

"I was very happy and surprised to know that I was lucky enough to be on the 2025 International Math Olympiad team with 5 other male candidates," Xuan said.

Truong Thanh Xuan was born in 2008, currently a grade 11 student specializing in Mathematics at Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted. In the recent national excellent student exam, the 10X student took the exam at a higher level and won second prize, becoming the contestant with the highest achievement in the Bac Ninh Math team.

With the national second prize, Xuan was called up to the selection round of the 2025 International Mathematical Olympiad team. Here, she made a strong breakthrough, becoming one of the 6 selected students. Notably, the Bac Ninh female student is 1 of 2 members of the IMO team who are in grade 11 (the other 4 are in grade 12).

Truong Thanh Xuan (Photo: Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted)

Xuan said that she came to Mathematics because of her pure passion, so she did not put too much pressure on herself. The female student considered participating in the gifted student team as an opportunity to gain experience and gain experience instead of focusing on achievements.

Because she is only in 11th grade, 10X realizes that she still lacks many areas of knowledge, especially compared to her seniors. Therefore, the female student always proactively finds ways to supplement it through many different methods: self-study, reading in-depth documents, participating in online courses as well as asking friends for support when encountering difficult problems.

Regarding the method of learning Math, 10X often does exercises by topic and then practices comprehensive tests. Instead of doing a lot of exercises, Xuan prioritizes slow but steady learning. She focuses on quality over quantity, always trying to understand the nature of the problem, from there drawing out the most effective solution. Thanks to this approach, Xuan not only consolidates solid knowledge but also develops logical thinking and the ability to handle Math problems flexibly.

"There are times when I can't find the answer, and I can't help but feel helpless and frustrated. However, I understand that Mathematics is a long journey, requiring perseverance and persistence, and I need to maintain my spirit and interest in the subject," Xuan said.

One of the important things that female students always emphasize when studying Math is the need for a stable mental state. Xuan believes that it is not always possible to solve a difficult Math problem right away and keeping a comfortable mentality will help you think more clearly.

She said that there were exercises that she spent 2-3 hours thinking about but still couldn’t find the solution. Instead of trying to force herself to continue in a stressful state, Xuan chose to pause and relax with light activities such as walking or cooking for about 15-20 minutes.

After that period of time, when returning to the Math problem, 10X can approach the problem from a different perspective, finding a surprising solution. For Xuan, maintaining a balance between studying and relaxing is the key to effective knowledge absorption.

"I feel lucky to always have my family, teachers and friends accompanying me, becoming a strong spiritual support throughout my journey to conquer Mathematics. For me, the support from my loved ones not only gives me motivation but also helps me believe in the path I have chosen," the female student confided.

In the upcoming International Mathematical Olympiad, Xuan hopes to win a prize, considering it not only an important milestone, but also a motivation to continue pursuing her passion for Mathematics. In addition, she also cherishes the dream of studying abroad in countries with advancededucation systems such as the US and Singapore - places with modern learning environments and open development opportunities.

In addition to Truong Thanh Xuan, the other 5 contestants of the 2025 International Math Olympiad team include: Nguyen Dinh Tung and Nguyen Dang Dung (High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences , Hanoi National University), Tran Minh Hoang (Ha Tinh High School for the Gifted), Vo Trong Khai (Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted - Nghe An) and Le Phan Duc Man (Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, Ho Chi Minh City).

Kim Nhung

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/bong-hong-duy-nhat-cua-doi-tuyen-viet-nam-chinh-chien-olympic-toan-quoc-te-2025-ar934966.html