Lily sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the letter inviting her to the Maths Olympiad. Her heart should have been leaping with joy, but instead, it was weighed down by a heavy sense of dread. The letter, with its crisp white paper and bold black lettering, seemed to mock her. "How am I going to do well in the Maths Olympiad?" she wondered, her mind a whirl of self-doubt. Although she loved solving Maths problems, she couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't good enough.
Her mother, a warm and encouraging presence, noticed her daughter's unease. "You can do it, Lily! Remember all the hard work you've put in," she said, her voice a soothing balm. Lily nodded, trying to muster a smile. "You don’t need to win, just try your best," her mother added, giving her a reassuring high five. Despite her mother's comforting words, Lily's mind was still a storm of anxiety. "What's the point of even trying when I'm not a genius like Gregory?" she thought, her heart sinking.
The day of the Olympiad arrived, and Lily found herself in the bustling exam hall. The room was filled with students, their faces a mix of determination and confidence. They chatted animatedly, flipping through their revision books, while Lily's heart pounded like a drum. She took her seat, her hands trembling slightly as the invigilator handed out the test papers. The exam paper felt heavy in her hands, and she stared at it with trepidation.
As she worked through the questions, a particularly challenging one caught her eye. Panic surged through her, threatening to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, and remembered her mother's words: "Just try your best, even if you're fearful." With renewed determination, she reread the question, her mind slowly piecing together the solution. Her pen moved across the paper, her confidence growing with each stroke.
Weeks later, the results were announced during the school assembly. Lily sat quietly, watching as Sally and Gregory perched on their chairs, eager for their names to be called. "I think I am not going to win," she thought, closing her eyes. Suddenly, her friend nudged her, and she opened her eyes in surprise. Her name had been called! She dashed towards the stage, her heart soaring.
After the ceremony, her Maths teacher approached her with a proud smile. "Did you know you're the last student called on stage? There was one student who dropped out! But guess what? Your solution to the last question was published in the National Maths Journal!" Lily's eyes widened in disbelief. She realised that her confidence and perseverance had triumphed over her self-doubt, leading her to achieve something she never thought possible.
