The journey of Trinh Duc Anh to winning the Gold Medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad.

Winning a Gold Medal at the 2025 Abu Rayhan-Biruni International Chemistry Olympiad, Trinh Duc Anh, a 12th-grade student specializing in Chemistry at Vinh Phuc High School for Gifted Students, brought glory and pride to himself, his school, and the provincial education sector. This achievement is the culmination of a long, persistent, and unwavering journey of Trinh Duc Anh, as well as the care and support of his teachers and family.

Teacher Tran Hoai Thu directly taught and tutored Trinh Duc Anh (center) in Chemistry. Photo: Tra Huong

With eyes sparkling with joy, teacher Tran Hoai Thu, one of the two teachers who directly taught and mentored Duc Anh, said: “Duc Anh is a well-behaved, intelligent, careful student with high determination. He always strives and is creative in his studies, dedicating his passion entirely to Chemistry. The gold medal he brought home from the Abu Rayhan-Biruni International Chemistry Olympiad affirms his ability, perseverance, willpower, and love for Chemistry.”

Upon learning about Duc Anh's academic background, it was discovered that during his first two years at Tam Hop Secondary School (Binh Xuyen), Duc Anh was an excellent student in Mathematics. He was passionate about numbers, geometry, and logic problems; always eager to find faster answers and better solutions. However, a turning point came in the 2020-2021 school year when the school did not organize a Mathematics team for 8th-grade students; instead, the teachers selected Duc Anh for the Chemistry team.

With confidence and a desire to explore in-depth knowledge in a new subject, Duc Anh decided to change direction. In his first year participating in the district-level Chemistry Olympiad, he won second prize. In 9th grade, he continued to participate in the Chemistry Olympiad and won first prize at the district level and a consolation prize at the provincial level.

In the 2022-2023 school year, Duc Anh passed the entrance exam to the 10th grade specialized Chemistry class at Vinh Phuc High School for Gifted Students. At this high-quality school with a long history of national and international student excellence awards, Duc Anh will study an in-depth program with a team of excellent and experienced teachers and many outstanding students from across the province.

To continuously improve, I have created a scientific study plan for myself. Considering my teachers as guides and believing that I must walk the entire path to reach the horizon of knowledge on my own, Duc Anh always seriously absorbs the lectures of his teachers; at the same time, he emphasizes self-learning ability and self-discipline.

I apply the Pomodoro technique (50 minutes of study, 10 minutes of rest) to maintain focus and avoid burnout. I seek out various resources, learn from seniors, and actively practice exam questions to improve my knowledge and strengthen my skills.

Thanks to this, Duc Anh has achieved an impressive record. In his 10th grade year, he won first prize in the provincial-level excellent student competition, a bronze medal in the Natural Science Olympiad, and a silver medal in the inter-school competition for excellent students from specialized high schools in the coastal and northern delta regions.

In 11th grade, Duc Anh maintained his excellent performance with first prize at the provincial level and third prize at the national level in the Chemistry Olympiad for gifted students; second prize in the provincial-level advanced-level 12th-grade gifted student competition; a silver medal in the exchange competition to select gifted students from specialized high schools in the Coastal and Northern Delta regions; and a gold medal in the Natural Science Olympiad.

In 12th grade, Duc Anh made a breakthrough by winning first prize in the provincial-level excellent student selection exam and second prize in the national-level excellent student selection exam, and was summoned by the Ministry of Education and Training to the second round of selection for teams to participate in the International Olympiads.

With that achievement, Duc Anh was selected by the Vietnam Chemical Society as one of the four members representing the Vietnamese team at the Abu Rayhan-Biruni International Chemistry Olympiad in 2025. Overcoming more than 110 contestants from 14 countries, Duc Anh successfully completed the challenging rounds of the competition to bring home the prestigious gold medal for the Vietnamese team.

Sharing about that glorious journey, Duc Anh said: “Before the exam, I had a month of self-study, followed by a month of preparation at Hanoi Pedagogical University. At Hanoi Pedagogical University, in addition to practicing practical skills, we were thoroughly trained in theory and exam-taking strategies.”

Trinh Duc Anh (third from the left) and his classmates are researching chemistry learning materials from the internet.

During the actual practical exam, my hand experienced muscle stiffness while manipulating the three-dimensional gripping device (a device requiring high precision and control) because the device was too stiff.

In a stressful situation, I quickly switched to my left hand, persevering to complete the exam even though both my hands were almost numb afterward. That evening, both my hands were aching, but the next morning, I still tried my best to do well on the theory test. At that time, I only thought that I couldn't give up. And the result did not disappoint my efforts and expectations.”

Not only is Duc Anh outstanding academically, but he is also an active and sports-loving student. He won second place in the men's singles badminton competition at the district level while studying at Tam Hop Secondary School; and two silver medals in men's doubles badminton and football at Vinh Phuc Specialized High School. For Duc Anh, sports are not just a hobby, but also a way to relieve stress and strengthen his willpower to improve his academic performance.

Following his success in the international competition, Duc Anh plans to enroll at Hanoi University of Science and Technology because he hopes to continue accessing advanced scientific and technical knowledge, serving his long-term dream of scientific research. Currently, he is actively studying English to prepare for his aspiration to study abroad.

Duc Anh's gold medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad was not won easily, but rather through a journey of relentless effort. This achievement brought glory to Duc Anh and his family, while extending the brilliant achievements of Vinh Phuc Specialized High School and contributing to the affirmation of education in Vinh Phuc in particular, and Vietnam in general, on the international academic stage. Duc Anh's glorious journey has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to the young generation of Vinh Phuc: "Dreams will come true if we strive and persevere to the end."

Minh Huong

Source: http://baovinhphuc.com.vn/Multimedia/Images/Id/129710/Hanh-trinh-doat-Huy-chuong-Vang-Olympic-Hoa-hoc-quoc-te-cua-Trinh-Duc-Anh