WINDSOR, Nova Scotia, Jan. 8 (UPI) — A Canadian high-school student was awarded the title of “International Master of Memory” after competing in the World Memory Championships.
Evan Xie, 15, a Chinese 10th-grader from Windsor, Nova Scotia, returned to China becoming 1 of 151 people in the world to hold the title after completing 10 memory tests over a three-day period.
Evan passed the tests by memorizing 1,180 numbers in an hour and memorizing the order of a standard deck of 52 cards in 32 seconds, which was nearly double his personal best time of 18 seconds.
“He was two hours a day every day for six months preparing his mind, over and above being a regular student,” Chris Strickey, one of Evan’s teachers at King’s-Edgehill School told CTV News.
In addition to his diligent practice schedule, Evan said that he had a knack for memorization from a young age.
“I don’t know why. When I was just 3 years old, I can memorize a book,” he said. “And after two years, I can memorize numbers of cards, and now I almost can memorize anything.”
Evan, a straight-A student, said he will go back to primarily focusing on his schoolwork, another area where his superior memory comes in handy.
“Like geography, history, I can memorize that so fast, and it’s so easy for me to have a good mark and spend less time,” he said.
