Courtesy Photo | U.S. Agency for International Development Asian Pacific American Employee Committee...... read more read more
The drums beat an increasing rhythm. The boat surged forward. The crew sweated in time. The fierce yellow dragon splashed across the finish line. The announcer declared victory. The drums went silent.
The winning boat included a dozen employees from U.S. Agency for International Development Dragon Boat Festival competition in D.C., June 16-17.
USAID’s Asian Pacific American Employee Committee (APAEC) Employee Resource Group won all three of its heats in the 250-meter race.
It was their second year in a row winning a gold medal.
“There were nearly fifty teams competing, and each person on the team knows that a dragon boat race is won with synchronization and teamwork,” said Holly Te, a business development specialist at USAID. “The paddles must hit the water at the same time; the paddlers’ bodies have to tilt forward at the same angle, at the same time, and the test of our physical endurance built camaraderie.”
At USAID, Te helps find ways to leverage more private-sector engagements to help transform development projects into investment opportunities. However, in her free time, she founded the team last year as a way to bring staff together outside of the office, build camaraderie and represent USAID’s Asian Pacific Americans to the local D.C. community.
“Most of us on the team were first-time rowers, inexperienced but motivated,” said Johanna Papa, president of APAEC at USAID. “Although most of us were inexperienced, we never doubted our team’s strengths and ability to come together as a team. Above all, it was about bringing people together and building lasting relationships.”
The Dragon Boat Festival in D.C. is a two-day event held along the Potomac River with cultural exhibitions, craft demonstrations, and, of course, dragon boat racing.
The event is in its 17th year and sponsored by the Taiwan-U.S. Cultural Association (TUSCA).
“Some came to win, but everyone came to get to know their USAID colleagues by spending a day out with our families,” added Shivani Ray, the executive secretary at APAEC at USAID. “We were all there to give APAEC and Team Rock the Boat our all. We are so proud and hope to continue next year!”
The team (Rock the Boat) included friends, family, and the following USAID staff:
• Annie Chenaphun (DCHA/FFP)
• David Waldron (IG/A/GSAD)
• Diana Leo (AID/A)
• Eric Ambrose (PPL/DC)
• Holly Te (E3/PCM)
• Johanna Papa (DCHA/OFDA)
• Maria Fil Naldo-Fontelo’s two sons (ME/SPO/SPPM)
• Mary Llacer-Salcedo (IG/A/GSAD)
• Ming Liu (IG/A/GSAD)
• Ryan Lee (LAB/CDI)
• Shivani Ray (DCHA/OFDA)
• William Li (M/OAA/E)
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 06.27.2018 13:45 |
| Story ID: | 282470 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DC, US |
| Web Views: | 336 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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