As dependency on calculators, cellphones, and computers increase, there are fewer people in the world who can boast amazing prowess in mental arithmetic. However, 8-year-old Mexican girl Zury Tlapanco Reyes is one of the few, and she’s got the trophy to show for it.
Zury’s skill in mental arithmetic even earned her a coveted title; the math whizz solved an extraordinary 70 mathematical problems in under 5 minutes with no electronic assistance at Aloha’s International Mental Arithmetic World Championship event in China in the summer of 2019.
She walked away with a trophy and the title of Grand Champion.
Having traveled all the way from the Mexican town of Tampico in Tamaulipas to join the competition, Zury joined other young students from all around the world at the event in Guangzhou, China. Zury, a student of the Aloha Mental Arithmetic School franchise, astounded her peers by solving all 70 math problems that she was presented with in her head and without an error.
As the young math star met with local media after her win, she admitted that it was the first time she had competed in such an event on an international level.
Even having won the title of Grand Champion, the top-ranked prize in the competition, the mature 8-year-old remained composed. It was not difficult to win, Zury told local media, because she walked into the competition “very well prepared.”
The young math aficionado had trained hard for the championship, winning first the local, then the regional, then the national Mexican competitions. Finally, Zury set her sights on China to represent Mexico in the international competition.
Before leaving Mexico, Alma Laura Amparan, president of Altamira, Tamaulipas municipality, invited Zury and one of her co-competitors from the national competition to her office to celebrate their achievements.
“Good afternoon, I was very pleased to receive in my office Zury Tlapanco Reyes and Dana Geraldine Badillo Zumaya, girls who obtained the cup of excellence and first place respectively in the National Championship of Mental Arithmetic Calculation.”For Zury, the only way was up.
When the 8-year-old arrived home at Tampico International Airport, having scooped up the top prize in the international heat, excited friends and family members were waiting to greet her. As Zury carried her huge trophy in her arms, family members surrounded her, offering hugs and warm congratulations.
It was a hero’s welcome for Zury amid yet more media meet-and-greets as the math champ returned home triumphant.
Eight-year-old trophy holder Zury, by doing something she loves and excels at, is a positive role model for children around the world. Zury’s dedication to honing her extraordinary math skills will continue to inspire others to reach for the stars and achieve their dreams, whatever those dreams may be.
