The champion of Road to Olympia did not study abroad in Australia, what is he doing now?

“Perhaps many people are surprised that I chose a different path from previous champions,” said Tran The Trung, champion of the Road to Olympia 2019 competition.

Tran The Trung (21 years old), a former student of Phan Boi Chau High School for the Gifted (Nghe An province), champion of the 2019 Road to Olympia contest, chose not to study abroad in Australia but to stay in Vietnam.

Trung is the first champion to choose this path. Currently, Trung is a third-year student majoring in creative application design at RMIT University Vietnam (Hanoi campus). This is the major that Trung has loved since his high school years.

Quán quân Đường lên đỉnh Olympia không đi du học ở Úc, bây giờ ra sao? - Ảnh 1. — *Tran The Trung, champion of the Road to Olympia 2019 contest*

“I hope everyone respects the decisions and choices of the other champions. Everyone has their own lives, dreams, and plans,” Trung shared.

“I also chose to study graphic design at Swinburne University (Australia) but studied online due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. After the first semester, I felt that this major was not suitable for me so I decided to stop studying,” Trung shared.

In June 2021, The Trung decided to withdraw his application from Swinburne University and apply to RMIT University Vietnam. Trung covered his tuition fees with the prize money from Road to Olympia worth 35,000 USD.

"I think studying in the country is also good. If you try hard, there will be opportunities everywhere. The important thing is whether you know how to take the initiative or not," Trung said.

Quán quân Đường lên đỉnh Olympia không đi du học ở Úc, bây giờ ra sao? - Ảnh 2.

Quán quân Đường lên đỉnh Olympia không đi du học ở Úc, bây giờ ra sao? - Ảnh 3. — *The Trung often participates as a referee in basketball matches.*

For The Trung, participating in the Road to Olympia competition was a dream and passion during his high school years. Trung thought that he would leave behind the halo of the competition to continue conquering other goals in life.

“Over the past 4 years, I have learned a lot. By participating in many activities in basketball and Shogi, I feel like I am gradually escaping the "shadow" of a champion of the Road to Olympia 2019. I want a meaningful life, not according to anyone's expectations,” Trung said.

Besides his passion for studying and improving his knowledge, The Trung also has a special love for basketball. The Trung played basketball when he was a 7th grader and has been involved in this sport ever since. In addition, Trung is also interested in refereeing and learning about international basketball rules. With an English proficiency of 8.0 IELTS, Trung once translated the 3x3 basketball competition rules published by the International Basketball Federation.

Quán quân Đường lên đỉnh Olympia không đi du học ở Úc, bây giờ ra sao? - Ảnh 4. — *The Trung (front row left) participates in Shogi club activities*

Recently, The Trung has participated as a referee in a number of large-scale basketball tournaments in Hanoi such as Hanoi Basketball Championship 2022, Hanoi 3x3 student basketball tournament 2022, and the 2022 national student basketball tournament in the Northern region.

"I will improve my refereeing skills to reach a higher level and be able to officiate national and international basketball matches," The Trung shared.

In addition to playing basketball, Trung is currently the Vice President of the Shogi Club in Vietnam. Trung and his clubmates are trying to develop the community of players of this sport in the future.

Talking about his future plans, The Trung said: "I will try to complete my university program with good results, find a stable job, pursue my passion for basketball, and develop Shogi so that more people will know about it."

Thanhnien.vn