Mahir Wagh wins top prize at Olympiad for the second year in a row

By Jonathan Bell

Maths whizz Mahir Wagh has done it again: last night the 14-year-old took top prize at the Mathematics Olympiad for a second time.

“Put simply, to win two years in a row feels great,” the Saltus year ten student told

The Royal Gazette after collecting his trophy.

Mathematics is something that’s “in my blood”, he said.

“My dad, Akhil, is good at maths; so are my grandparents, and my mother, Sangeeta really supports me.”

His enjoyment of maths runs the gamut from basic numeracy through algebra.

Particularly in Bermuda, mathematical minds lean toward the insurance business.

For Mahir, maths is “something I’ve always done, something I’ve always been fairly good at — I just like it.

“Career-wise, I’m not so sure. I’ve still got decisions to make. I’ve got a long way to go — I’m still just having fun right now.”

Along with his name on the coveted cup, Mahir last night won $300 in cash, and a laptop sponsored by the Ace Actuarial Department.

For those who struggle with maths, Mahir advised: “Just keep practising. And do contests like this.

“Get help from your teachers. Maths is a huge field and it’s really important — one way or another, you’ll need it.”

He takes inspiration from the sheer immensity of mathematical disciplines, and their applications.

“The greatest thing I see about maths is now many different areas in life it shows up in. Look at engineering — or physics, which is essentially maths.

“A lot of biochemistry and chemistry is based on maths. With any job, you have money involved — in the end, it’s still maths.

“Regardless of how dull people sometimes think it is, it’s clearly everywhere.”