Havelock North student Sophie Webber heads to Kazakhstan for ‘Olympics’ of biology

Hawke’s Bay teen Sophie Webber has been selected from hundreds of talented young Kiwis for one of four spots in New Zealand’s International Biology Olympiad team bound for Kazakhstan next month. Mitchell Hageman chats with the Year 13 Woodford House student, her teacher Ben Himme, and New Zealand International Biology Olympiad (NZIBO) chairwoman Dr Angela Sharples MNZM about how the event is a game-changer for young scientists, and what it takes to reach the finals.

Just like the way our top athletes do their mahi, training for the “Olympics of secondary school biology” is no easy feat.

Hours are spent in labs examining specimens and bashing the books is the norm for 17-year-old Hawke’s Bay student Sophie Webber, one of four who made this year’s team heading to Kazakhstan for the International Biology Olympiad.

In her own words, it’s been “lots of exams and lots of learning” to get to this point, but her passion and dedication shine brighter than the lights on her biology microscope.

“I’ve always been interested in human biology. My dad’s a doctor, so I think I get that from him a little bit. I quite like animal behaviour and physiology as well,” she told Hawke’s Bay Today.

The event will pit Webber and her team against the top four secondary school biology students from 80 countries. They will take a series of exams and perform practical tasks related to biology.

Webber took science throughout her Woodford High School years and was encouraged by her teacher, Ben Himme, to enter the NZIBO selection programme in August last year.

He admitted he even had to crack open his old university notes to brush up on possible scenarios for the competition.

“I’m absolutely proud. It’s an amazing achievement,” he said.

“We always knew Sophie was an outstanding young woman, but to make it into the top four is phenomenal.”

Science teacher Ben Himme with biology student Sophie Webber at the Woodford House science labs. Photo / Warren Buckland

The NZIBO selection programme requires secondary school students to study for more than a year, in addition to their normal schoolwork.

After sitting an entrance exam, the top 200 are offered a place in the training programme, and train for either a year or two years.

“We provide an extension programme that is at university level. They are doing work at a level as high as a first-year university student in biology,” NZIBO chairwoman Angela Sharples said.

“The top 25 are selected for a camp, which gives them exposure to some of the top research scientists in New Zealand at top universities. After another set of theory and practical exams, the top four students are offered a place to represent New Zealand.”

Woodford House student Sophie Webber is heading to Kazakhstan to compete in the International Biology Olympiad. Photo / Warren Buckland

Webber had come out of almost 500 people trying to make the team. She said the camp made her realise there was much more to biology from a research standpoint.

“We were spoken to on the camp from people who had done research in Antarctica and worked for Nasa, so it was pretty cool to see the breadth of the subject.”

But of all places, why hold the event in Kazakhstan? Sharples said the intent of the Olympiad was to gather bright young minds in places often at the forefront of scientific advancement.

“Kazakhstan wants to become one of the world leaders in science. How do you do that? By getting the top kids from 80 countries to see what an amazing place it is in the hope that some will return to work there.”

The event also aims to connect young scientists and prepare them for a future in the field.

Webber admitted she knew little about the country, but had researched it and was looking forward to seeing it with her own eyes.

“On the camp in Auckland, we went for dinner at a Kazakh restaurant. It was quite nice food and a very new experience.”

It’s also not a cheap exercise to make the trip. There is insufficient external funding to support the team, so the NZIBO and Webber are raising funds for the trip through Givealittle pages.

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in January 2023. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.