Not at Studio S14 of Vietnam Television, the Road to Olympia experience was recreated right inside a classroom at Dewey. What made it even more special was that the entire program was conceptualized and operated by TDSers themselves.
Having previously participated in the actual Road to Olympia program, Minh Trí (11Sedona) collaborated with members of the Dewey Student Council (DSC) to plan and organize the Dewey Olympia Championship. Through this initiative, he hoped to create an engaging academic playground that would ignite a passion for knowledge and discovery within the Dewey community. The competition also provided an opportunity for the organizing team to develop communication and teamwork skills while gaining hands-on experience in running a large-scale event within the school environment.
In less than a month, with a serious working spirit and strong collaboration, the TDSers successfully completed the entire organization and communication plan for the competition. A particularly notable feature of the event was the participation of professional advisors—former contestants of Road to Olympia.
After the preliminary round, the 12 most outstanding contestants advanced to the semi-finals. The familiar suspense and excitement of Road to Olympia were vividly recreated in each match. With four classic rounds—Warm-up, Obstacle Course, Acceleration, and Finish—the question sets were carefully designed by the organizing team to cover a wide range of topics, combining academic knowledge, social issues, and foreign languages. The contestants’ “mountain-climbing” journey delivered many memorable moments: from dramatic point chases to spectacular breakthroughs, all demonstrating their determination to win the prestigious laurel wreath.
Hà An, the winner of Semi-final Match 1, shared: “Before the competition, I was quite nervous. But once the rounds began, I realized they were not as difficult as I had imagined. The most valuable thing for me was gaining so many interesting and useful pieces of knowledge.” Nguyễn Việt Thái — Runner-up of the 21st Road to Olympia and currently a student at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, who also served as a professional advisor for the program — expressed his impression of the Dewey contestants:“The contestants showed great determination, strong competition mindset, and especially a very serious preparation of knowledge for a new academic playground like the Dewey Olympia Championship.”
The Dewey Olympia Championship has helped break the psychological barrier that discourages many students from trying, as they often believe competitions like Road to Olympia are only for students from specialized or public schools. The confidence and determination displayed by each contestant on stage send a powerful message: as long as we are brave enough to step out of our comfort zones, willing to try and take action, anyone can become a talented “mountain climber” conquering the peaks of knowledge.
With their solid knowledge foundation and strong performance demonstrated in the semi-finals, the four most outstanding “climbers” of Dewey are now ready to enter the Grand Final, which will take place on March 20. Parents and students are warmly invited to watch and cheer for these Dewey climbers as they continue their exciting journey toward the summit!
