A ten-year-old student of Kumon Philippines, Francis Danmiel Legaspi, recently won the gold medal at the World International Mathematical Olympiad (WIMO) 2021.
To qualify for the WIMO, the so-called Olympics of all International Math Olympiads, kindergarten to senior secondary students must have won only gold medals from the Hong Kong International Math Olympiad, Thailand International Math Olympiad, and Big Bay Bei Math Olympiad–three competitions where Francis bagged gold medals.
At the WIMO, the Kumon student from Olongapo City competed in the Primary 2 level and bested other students from 15 countries such as Australia, Bulgaria, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Vietnam.
Can Do More with Kumon
In a virtual interview, Francis said he had mixed emotions during the competition but remained optimistic since he is equipped with helpful math skills through Kumon.
“I was a bit nervous but at the same time excited to represent our country. Win or lose, I told myself I’d just do my best, and hopefully, God would do the rest,” he said.
“I used the skills and abilities I developed in Kumon during the competition, especially in analyzing each math question that I’ve encountered. The basics that I’ve learned from my Kumon sessions in geometry and algebra were very helpful, too,” he shared.
Aside from this, his Kumon skills come in handy in school as he is able to learn topics that are far more advanced than what is being studied by children his age. “I am able to learn in advance the things that we’re going to discuss in school.”
“I feel that I am battle-ready whenever I join math competitions. Thanks to my Kumon training, I am more confident and optimistic about participating in math competitions,” the gold medalist added.
The Kumon Advantage
Before becoming an international champion, Francis was first enrolled by his parents in Kumon to hone his math skills, develop good study habits, become independent, especially in studying math, and fully maximize his potential.
His father, Mr. Dennis Legaspi, said that Kumon is a big plus in his child’s success.
“His Kumon Instructors developed his “study skills” that help him understand instructions and directions as he attempts to solve math problems,” he said.
“With the recent developments, all the more we are hopeful that our child will become a Kumon Math Program Completer. It will be a big help for him as he traverses his educational journey. We want him to maximize his potential, and we know that his Kumon training will help him achieve that,” he added.
