The journey to conquer the International Mathematical Olympiad of a boy from Nghe An

The joy of the Golden Boy of the International Mathematical Olympiad, Vo Trong Khai. (Photo: VNA)

Nghe An - the land of learning in Nghe An once again affirmed its position on the world knowledge map with the Gold medal of the 2025 International Mathematics Olympiad of Vo Trong Khai (class 12A1, Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted).

This is the journey of effort, perseverance and determination of Vo Trong Khai to assert himself on the path of conquering knowledge.

Constant efforts

Vo Trong Khai grew up in Xuan Hoi commune, old Nghi Xuan district (now Dan Hai commune), Ha Tinh province.

Khai's love for Mathematics was nurtured and passed down from his father since he was in kindergarten. Those were the times when his father played quizzes with counting numbers or explored numbers and example problems.

Gradually, Khai naturally developed a passion for learning Math and he was happy to learn Math. For Khai, learning Math not only provides knowledge but also helps him practice logical thinking and supports his learning of other subjects.

It was also his talent, passion for Mathematics and his efforts to explore, discover and conquer the subject that helped Khai win many impressive awards before winning the Gold Medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

Portrait of the Golden Boy of the International Mathematical Olympiad, Vo Trong Khai. (Photo: Bich Hue/ VNA)

He is known as the “expert in passing exams.” Three years ago, Vo Trong Khai was the name that caused a stir during the 10th grade admission season at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted when he achieved a perfect score of 20/20 in the Math class, a result that seemed “unprecedented” at this school.

With his special achievements, while most students have to wait until the beginning of grade 11 to participate in the national team selection for their school, Khai was called to the team from the beginning of grade 10.

Mr. Phan Van Thai - Khai's homeroom math teacher shared that this was a special case, so when deciding to select Khai for the national team, the school had to ask for the Department's opinion (previously, only 11th and 12th graders were selected). Khai himself, although being the youngest member of the team, has always shown himself to be an outstanding student.

In the first national exam season, he brought home second prize in Mathematics for the school... Immediately after being admitted to grade 10, Khai was gathered by the school teachers 2 months early to supplement all the knowledge from grade 10 to grade 12.

With a solid foundation from his junior high school years, combined with his intelligence and natural talent for math, Khai accelerated according to the schedule set by his teachers. Later, when he joined the national team, he showed his outstanding talent.

During grades 10 and 11, despite continuously winning second prize in national excellent student competitions and being selected for the second round to select the national team to participate in international Olympic competitions, Khai failed every time.

As a student who always wanted to win, Khai admitted that he was very disappointed and it took him nearly 2 months to get back to normal. With the encouragement of his family and teachers, Khai analyzed his own mistakes and proactively adjusted his learning methods, especially focusing more on geometry.

In grade 12, the third time participating in the National Excellent Student Exam, Khai came to the exam with a comfortable mindset, confident in himself and the knowledge he had equipped.

“The third time is the charm,” Khai surpassed his own limits when he ranked second in the country and won first prize for national excellent students.

For the third time participating in the national team selection, surpassing 46 other students competing, Khai won an official spot to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad in Australia.

"Touch" the dream

This year’s Mathematical Olympiad gathered more than 600 students from 113 countries and territories around the world. In preparation for this year’s exam, in addition to studying at school, Khai and the team members mostly focused on studying in Hanoi and studied with many leading teachers.

During his time away from home, Khai was occasionally visited and encouraged by his parents and teachers. The leaders of the Department of Education and Training and the school's Board of Directors often visited him and were promptly present in Hanoi on the day of the Vietnam Team's debut.

Student Vo Trong Khai with his instructor Phan Van Thai and other instructors in the Olympic team. (Photo: VNA)

Coming to Australia, Khai said that this was his first time abroad. Before that, since grade 9, he had achieved IELTS 7.5 so he did not encounter too many difficulties in communication and quickly adapted to the situation.

In this exam, with 2 different rounds, candidates will do 6 math problems (3 problems per session, lasting more than 4.5 hours) including 2 arithmetic problems, 2 combination problems, 1 geometry problem and 1 algebra problem (with combination statements and combinatorial thinking requirements).

After 2 days of intense competition, Khai still kept himself calm and cautious. With a total score of 38 points, Khai became the highest scoring candidate of the Vietnamese delegation and ranked 8th overall in this year's competition.

Immediately after the results, Khai called his parents and tried to keep his emotions in check, even though he was so happy he couldn't speak. At the award ceremony, standing on the podium to receive the Gold Medal and the country's red flag with a yellow star, Khai cried tears of pride and emotion: "I feel so happy to bring glory to the Fatherland, to the school and to my family. I myself am also satisfied because I overcame difficulties, reached my dream and won."

With this achievement, Khai has brought home the second Gold medal for Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted. Throughout his journey, Khai has always thanked his parents, who “although they did not have a proper education and only worked as freelancers” but ignited in him a love for Mathematics.

Khai's success also has the shadow of his teachers, who taught him at Nguyen Trai Secondary School (old Nghi Xuan district).

The biggest impression is the teachers at Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted, the teachers who trained the national team. In addition, on the journey I have taken, there has always been the attention of the province, teachers in the school's Board of Directors, the excellent student training team... "These feelings, favors, and care will be the luggage that follows me on the new journey when I come to Hanoi University of Science and Technology and continue to pursue my dream of studying Computer Science. I believe that if I choose the right path and try my best, success will still be waiting ahead," Vo Trong Khai shared.

Talking about his student, teacher Phan Van Thai happily expressed: “I know that Khai's journey to achieve the Gold Medal goal is not easy. Behind the halo are months of hard study, many sleepless nights with hundreds of difficult math problems, so tired that he thought he could not continue, but he never stopped. Khai is diligent, hard-working, has a strong learning ability and very deep thinking, he has the ability to stay calm very well, that is the most important thing in stressful international competitions. With intelligence, courage and perseverance, Khai surpassed himself to reach the dream he once cherished.”

After days of studying hard, under pressure and stress, Khai returned to the welcoming arms, love and pride of his family, teachers, friends and hometown.

Vo Trong Khai's journey to the International Mathematical Olympiad Gold Medal has inspired young people, whether in study or life, as long as they have aspiration, perseverance and will, there is no limit that cannot be overcome./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hanh-trinh-chinh-phuc-olympic-toan-hoc-quoc-te-cua-chang-trai-que-huong-xu-nghe-post1053950.vnp