18.03.2026
Benoît’s mentor is Mathys Douma, who he credits with providing him with both a lot of academic but also emotional support at times and ensuring he keeps himself grounded.
Benoît greatly enjoys working with Mathys and says that the most invaluable thing his mentor provides is expertise. Of course, there are more than enough problems and resources online to keep anyone busy for a lifetime. However, knowing which problems are the best and most instructive for Benoît is something that only a true Math Olympiad “veteran” like Mathys can provide. Benoît enjoyed a lot of productive discussions with Mathys about maths, his goals and more at the final round camp this year. He wants to make good use of Mathys’ insights and guidance as he prepares to do his best at the team selection test in May, where the international delegations are chosen out of all the medalists.
Benoît is participating in the final round for the second time after taking part in the Middle European Mathematical Olympiad (MEMO) last year. This year, he aims to either repeat this achievement or even make it to the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). After that, the young talent from Fribourg still has two years to participate again before he graduates school.
At the Mathematical Olympiad, talented and motivated participants are typically assigned mentors - experienced former participants who give them guidance on how to prepare for their exams. Mentors may work with groups, or one-on-one with individual participants, depending on their preference and needs. The aim is to ensure everyone has access to advice from someone who has navigated these waters before, whilst providing them with personal feedback on how to deal with their strengths and weaknesses.
Hongjia has been mentored for around two years now by Mathys Douma, who went to IMO with her in 2023. Mathys won Switzerland’s first gold in 17 years, setting off a chain of three consecutive years with gold medals for Switzerland - a chain that Hongjia hopes to extend this year, which is the last year she can participate. Hongjia is a seasoned math Olympian, having already participated at IMO in 2023 and taking home Switzerland’s first EGMO gold and an IMO silver in 2025.
Mathys is also Hongjia’s mentor in the Philosophy Olympiad, which she mentions gives her the freedom to speak her mind with him, as everything in life is of course part of either maths, philosophy, or both. “Sometimes I just yap at him for ages!” she admits, laughing. She considers her mentor to be both a mathematical guide but also excellent support system, especially when she has doubts about how things will turn out. She’s learnt a number of interesting and niche techniques in mathematics, and is looking forward to working together as she heads into the last three months of her olympiad journey as a student with the European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) and possibly another IMO in her sights.
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Austin is a force of nature - an energetic and chatty young man with an infectious enthusiasm for everything he does, which matches well with his mentor, Mark. Austin is very direct in his self-assessment: “Mark is great at cheering me up when I do ‘very bad’, and making sure that I can turn the ‘very bad’ into a ‘less bad’.” Austin adds that, whilst it’s not necessarily the case that the problems Mark provides him give him a significant advantage on exams, he really appreciates having someone to hold him accountable. As someone with many passions and hobbies, it can be difficult to find consistent time to spend on Olympiad preparation, and the regularity that Mark provides keeps Austin focused and on track for his goals. Austin is participating at the final round for the third time this year, but will have one more chance next year to improve on his previous achievements: A 2025 Swiss bronze medal as well as his participation in MEMO 2025. This year, he hopes to either qualify for IMO or MEMO 2026.
Annual theme “Look up!”: Who do we look up to? What do we see, when we look up — maybe using a telescope at the new Astronomy Olympiad? Just as a ship can use the stars to navigate, role models can help us find our path. In 2026 we meet inspiring people and those inspired by them. We present talent promotion practices worth looking up to. And we gaze at the sky. Subscribe to the newsletter or follow us on Instagram so you don’t miss anything!
