On Saturday, Sept. 10, staff members from Wesley International Academy won second place in a dragon boat race competition at the 25th Anniversary Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. Wesley competed against seven other teams at Lake Lanier Olympic Venue.
Dragon boat teams are comprised of 20 paddlers in a slim, 39-foot teakwood or fiberglass Dragon Boat. The paddlers row in rhythm to a drummer’s beat. A steerer guides the entire team as they stay in rhythm.
Wesley Chinese Department Chair Anthony Chung said he wanted to express his gratitude to the Wesley family for all their support. “We won second place in the recreational division,” he said, noting they were only 0.236 seconds behind the winning team.
Wesley International Academy is a K-8 Atlanta public charter school. The accredited International Baccalaureate (IB) World Programme School serves more than 750 students. Students receive daily lessons in Mandarin Chinese, and select middle school students experience a summer immersion program in China.