At IPhO 2026, the Vietnam national team continued to make its mark as all 5 participating students won medals, including 4 Golds and 1 Silver. With this achievement, Vietnam ranked among the top 7 countries with the highest results in the competition. This also marks the highest achievement ever recorded by the Vietnam national team at IPhO.

One of the 4 students of the Vietnamese gold medalists is Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc.

Sharing her feelings upon winning the Gold Medal at IPhO 2026, Ngoc stated that she was very surprised and happy. The moment she was informed about the results, she called to give her mother the good news immediately.

Ngoc was born into a family with 3 children in Ninh Cuong commune, Ninh Binh province. Since childhood, Ngoc had always been curious about everyday phenomena in life. When at secondary school, upon learning that Physics could explain many phenomena she wondered about using scientific laws, Ngoc became even more passionate about this subject.

Three years ago, Ngoc was the top entrance scorer for the 10th-grade physics majoring class at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted. Because her house was nearly 40 km away from the school, the female student registered to live in the dormitory to facilitate her studies. It was those years of living away from her family that turned the student independent, disciplined, and proactive in learning.

During her 3 years of high school at the school for the gifted, Ngoc continuously affirmed her capabilities in academic competitions.

In the 10th and 11th grades, she was the top scorer, winning a Gold Medal in the exam for excellent students of high schools for the gifted in the Coastal and Northern Delta region. 

Also in the 11th grade, she won the First Prize in the provincial excellent student competition; the Second Prize in the national excellent student competition in Physics, and joined the selection round for the international Olympiad team. In the 12th grade, Ngoc won the First Prize in the provincial excellent student competition in Physics and was the national runner-up.

Before winning IPhO 2026, Ngoc had won a Silver Medal at the Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO 2026).

Passion and resilience are the keys to success

Ngoc shared that her greatest motivation came from her family. Despite having to live away from home since the 10th grade, Ngoc always received care and encouragement from her parents. Her parents never put pressure on her and always encouraged her to do her best.

Meanwhile, the companionship and dedication of her teachers, along with the encouragement from her friends, also fueled Ngoc with motivation to overcome stressful training periods.

Asked about her learning secrets, the student said she always perseveres, grasps core knowledge firmly right from the beginning, and proactively looks for additional reference materials to expand her understanding.

According to Ngoc, in studying Physics, the most important thing is not studying a massive amount but understanding the nature of the phenomenon. Whenever encountering a difficult problem, she does not force herself to find the solution immediately.

"In the past, whenever I encountered a difficult problem, I would try to find the solution at all costs. But the more I thought about it, the less I could find the answer, which caused me to fall into a state of deadlock and even doubt my own ability. 

Later, I learned to accept it, not pressuring myself to solve it right away, but temporarily switched to other problems. When I returned with a more relaxed mindset, I usually found a way out," Ngoc shared.

Therefore, the student believed that keeping a stable spirit is just as important as accumulating knowledge. Therefore, in the days leading up to IPhO 2026, the student spent time systematizing her knowledge, maintaining a regular daily routine, and balancing study with sports practice to stay healthy and keep a comfortable mind.

Commenting on his student, teacher Nguyen Hai Duong, who is in charge of the national excellent student team in Physics at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, stated that Ngoc is a very hard-working, resilient student with high determination.

"Ngoc possesses a very firm will. Once she has set a goal, she always strives to pursue it to the very end, and does not easily give up when facing difficulties," Duong stated.

Ngoc said she intends to enroll in the Electronics and Telecommunications program at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and is also considering studying abroad if a suitable opportunity arises.

Trong Tung