The Dragon Boat Race on July 27, 2025, brought immense joy and excitement to the 21 team members who participated, along with the friends and families who came to cheer them on at Bicentennial Park in Columbus. This thrilling event was part of the annual Asian Festival, which has featured dragon boat exhibitions since 2010. Although this year's race was postponed and rescheduled, the energy and spirit were as strong as ever.
The Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning (TCML) and Columbus Chinese Academy (CCA) proudly formed a team to compete in this year's race. The team was a vibrant mix of CCA teachers (Wen-Li Feng and Bryan Kao), a CCA student (Jason), TCML students (Gary Kolnicki, Shari Kolnicki, Cheryl Huang, Ty, Thomas, Deidra Huang, Fernanda Pasquale, Joe), and friends. Special thanks to Shari Kolnicki, who managed team check-ins and communication. The coordination team—Shari, Gary, Wen-Li and Arjene Chen—worked diligently to bring everyone together and prepare for the event.
Wen-Li Feng, a returning participant from three years ago, played a leading role in training the team and served as the caller at the dragon head position, setting the rhythm and leading the team during the race.
This year, 21 teams participated in the competition. The final race, known as “The Finals,” determined the final placements. The CCA team competed in "Finals E," Race #17, and emerged victorious in that heat. While the first two heats were used for seeding purposes, the third heat was the defining race that determined final rankings. CCA's placement in each round was impressive: 3rd in the first heat, 2nd in the second, and 1st in the final. Notably, they triumphed over Chase Bank in a head-to-head race, earning 11th place overall out of the 21 participating teams.
The Dragon Boat Race was more than just a competition—it was a cultural celebration. The program featured highlights such as the Eye-Dotting Ceremony, Dragon Dance, Lion Dance, and the Closing Ceremony. These festivities helped promote understanding of Asian culture and foster cross-cultural exchange, while also uniting diverse communities through friendly competition.
A heartfelt thank-you goes to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Chicago for supporting this event, and to all the members who dedicated their time and energy to make it a success. The memories made at this year's race will surely bring everyone back again next year if the Asian Festival continued to host the Dragon Boat Racing.
