2025 Olympiad National Training Camp launches Team Canada to Physics Heights

October 1, 2025
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Canadian Physics OIympiad campers working on physics problems at this year's 2025 camp.

This year’s Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) High School physics exam brought some top-ranked high school physics students to our National Olympiad Training Camp this summer, hosted at UBC. 

We were delighted to meet some returnees from last year, as well as a more varied age group. This year’s Camp attracted some of our youngest campers to date as well as a good representation of students from across the country, and a very strong representation from B.C. schools.

The UBC Canadian Physics Olympiad National Training Camp presents an intensive week-long preparation for campers competing for a Team Canada spot which then participates in an annual International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). This year, our Team Canada competed in the IPhO in Paris, France. 

The 2025 National Training Camp had campers working on, discussing, analyzing, and sharing experimental, theoretical and applied physics knowledge with each other, through prepared lectures, testing and free time at the camp residence. Dorm visits with participants revealed a friendly camaraderie amongst campers and staff with physics always at the forefront, revealed on residence blackboards covered in equations, piles of active notes and open laptops.  

“We never stop doing physics”, admitted camper Nick Kamali, “I’m almost not sleeping!”. 

PHAS PhD student, Samin Tajik, camp organizer and mentor, acknowledged the high energy and drive of the campers. “They are very smart students”, she said, “they’re helping each other, talking about physics problems at all hours”.  

Apart from full days of lectures and testing, participants also toured UBC physics facilities, including TRIUMF, UBC ATLAS, and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (SBQMI), to see the physics happening in UBC’s community of partner institutions. 
When asked about their camp experience, campers shared their gratitude for this week-long opportunity to learn enriched physics and mathematics, citing its “intense learning curve” and “high level of teaching”. Many credited their physic teachers, parents and other mentors for providing the educational support that helped them to land a spot in this camp.  

The shortlisted candidates for TEAM Canda were announced on the last day of camp to cheers and applause. Students Zander Li, Robert Yang, Wuhua Zhu, Harry Gong and Alex Huang flew to Paris, France to compete in the 55th annual IPhO this July, 2025, winning bronze and silver medals. 

This was Team Canada’s strongest showing in years of IPhO participation, strongly reflecting our amazing students, and the instructors, mentors, alumni and staff who supported them through this competition cycle.

Congratulations, Team Canada! 

And congratulations to all campers in this year's National Training camp - your dedication and love of physics is inspiring to all! We hope to see you again in future as we train next year's cohort for the 2026 IPhO in Colombia!

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