People & Culture
Team Canada wins silver and bronze at the International Geography Olympiad
Ontario students uphold Canada’s legacy of excellence at annual student competition held in Indonesia
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People & Culture
Team Canada celebrates another successful year of the International Geography Olympiad
Ontario students bring back three medals and a collection of memories that will last a lifetime
- Sep 18, 2024
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After months of preparation, the world’s top young geographers recently converged in Dublin, Ireland, for the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo), a prestigious competition that challenges the brightest minds in geography through rigorous tests, exploration, and cultural exchange. The enthusiasm and camaraderie shared by the competitors, supported by a strong network of mentors and peers, highlight the impact and success of the iGeo competition in promoting geographical education.
With such an action-packed schedule and passionate team, the competition’s aim to foster and encourage interest in geographical pursuits is practically guaranteed. The competitors, surrounded by enthusiasm and a network of unwavering support, are a testament to the competition’s efficacy.
Four talented young geographers represented Team Canada this year, with Noah Pilnitz winning gold and Angad Khattra and Shannon Tang securing bronze medals among 183 competitors. Julian Bal, an iGeo veteran, returned for his second competition and played a crucial role in the team’s success. The students, who hail from the Greater Toronto Area, continue a long-standing record of Canadian excellence in geography.
As a national competition, the road to iGeo is neither short nor easy. The four competitors were selected from a sea of applicants across Canada, each of whom had to undergo a series of written, multimedia, and fieldwork tests to qualify. Once selected, they trained tirelessly with Team Leaders in the months leading up to the international competition, where they would face similar tests on a global stage.
Arriving at the competition brought a slew of emotions forward for the competitors. Shannon Tang recalls, “I was excited because I was in Ireland, but definitely had some anxiety. It helps when you realize that everyone around you is just as nervous as you are, thinking that they’re surrounded by people smarter than them.” Despite her initial self-doubt, Tang remained determined, saying, “There were times when we were preparing where I was the only one with a different answer. But the worst that could happen was I failed, and that was it.” Her perseverance paid off when she ultimately secured a bronze medal.
Bronze medalist Angad Khattra shared similar anxieties and credited his Team Leaders and Canadian Geographic Education for helping him stay confident. “Paul and Janet did an excellent job of preparing us, as did the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) staff. They do a wonderful job of ensuring we have the proper resources, and we evidently did the right things to prepare.”
Julian Bal’s prior experience as a competitor allowed him to play a vital part in the team’s success. His composure and knowledge as an iGeo veteran helped ensure that the entire team remained calm and confident, with Team Leaders Paul VanZant and Janet Ruest both singing Bal’s praises for his passion and dedication to Team Canada.
The first two tests – written and multimedia– are fairly straightforward and academic in nature. That isn’t to say that they’re easy. Geography, by nature, is a complex topic blending aspects of numerous disciplines from mathematics to social issues and urban planning. The final test blends various skills, including observation, mapping, and problem-solving. Students are tasked with observing and documenting a specific geographic area before being presented with a hypothetical problem which must be solved through mapping and planning. This year the contestants were tasked with determining the overall accessibility of Maynooth University, the main street of the town of Maynooth, and the railway station. The university campus survey proved to be particularly interesting, as parts of it were built in the 19th century while other parts were 21st-century additions. “We were comparing this really old part of campus with this really new part of campus and comparing accessibility between the two,” said Pilnitz. “We were looking at things like how friendly it was for cyclists and aspects related to well-being. Do students have spaces to congregate, to study and socialize, things like that.”
Beyond the tests and challenges, the competition also fostered strong friendships and unforgettable cultural experiences. Angad fondly remembers sharing a meal with the American team before the award ceremony, stating that all the stress of the upcoming ceremony melted away amongst a flood of laughter and pizza. Shannon and Noah shared their delight at the competition’s cultural exchange day, where they interacted with people from all over the world and sampled a cornucopia of international snacks. The Irish dance lessons proved to be a team-wide hit as well.
Paul VanZant and Janet Ruest, the coaches for Team Canada, remark that iGeo is about much more than simple competition. “What’s really fun for us is to have students who don’t know each other come together and become a team. That, to me, is even more important than the results of the competition,” says VanZant. Janet expresses that the camaraderie goes beyond members of Team Canada. “You’ve got 183 really smart people. And they can celebrate themselves but also each other. They can be happy for each other and how well they do.”
While Ruest and VanZant are both retired, they are both geographers and RCGS fellows, and the chance to volunteer with such skilled students provides them with ample opportunity to remain engaged in their passion for geographical education. The shared passion between the coaches and the students seems to be a guaranteed recipe for success, as Team Canada has thus far averaged three medals per annual competition. The Team Leaders further remarked that the support system set in place by the RCGS and Canadian Geographic Education plays a pivotal role in the continued success of Team Canada.
As the competitors move forward to new opportunities and challenges at school and beyond, one thing sticks out the most in their minds, and Julian Bal sums it up best. “I have so many friends I’ve made from iGeo. That’s the best part of it – how else are you going to meet people from 50+ countries? It’s a life-changing experience in that sense.”
The experiences and friendships forged at iGeo will continue to inspire and shape Team Canada’s future endeavours, highlighting the competition’s profound impact in nurturing a passion for geography and cross-cultural understanding.
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