After months of study, research, and tests, three students from the rural area of Mossoró faced the fear of their first airplane trip, competed with students from various states, and won the gold medal at OBAFOG 2026.
Three students from the Municipal School Councilor José Bernardo, located in Sítio Passagem de Pedra, in the rural area of Mossoró, won the gold medal at the Brazilian Astronomy, Astronautics, and Rocket Olympiad (OBAFOG), held in Piraí, Rio de Janeiro.
Victor Emanuel Tertulino, Jainy Karla Queiroz, and Tainá Pâmela Menezes represented the municipality in the competition, which brought together students from various Brazilian states. According to the source Prefeitura de Mossoró, the result was announced on the morning of Thursday, February 5, 2026.
The achievement was reached after months of study, research, meetings, and tests. During this period, the students worked on the project presented at the olympiad and prepared to compete with participants from different regions of the country.
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The gold medal represents recognition for the effort of the three students and the knowledge acquired during the preparation. For them, the trip also meant the opportunity to see places outside the rural community where they live and participate in a national experience linked to scientific education.
First airplane trip marked the champions’ journey
The students left Mossoró on the night of Sunday, February 1, heading to Fortaleza Airport, in Ceará. From there, they boarded a plane to Rio de Janeiro. The experience was especially remarkable because it was the students’ first air travel.
Before departure, Tainá Pâmela said she was anxious and felt a bit scared about flying for the first time. Jainy Karla also spoke about the expectation of winning a medal, although she shared the same concern about the flight.
Victor Emanuel declared, before the competition, that simply participating in the olympiad would already be very important for the group, regardless of the result. Despite the caution, the student believed that the team had the potential to return to Mossoró with a second or third place medal.
The performance, however, exceeded the expectations presented before the trip. The students won the top prize of the competition and returned to Rio Grande do Norte as champions of OBAFOG 2026.
The forecast was that the three students would arrive in Mossoró early in the afternoon of Friday, February 6. Besides the gold medal, they would return bringing new knowledge and an experience that reinforces the role of education in opening opportunities.
