Puzzle Palooza Highlight: Meet Andrea
For Andrea Peng, puzzling has always been part of life. With more than five decades of experience, Andrea brings history, heart, and a deep sense of community to the speed puzzling world. At Oasis’ Puzzle Palooza, she competed alongside friends and family, all in support of a cause she quickly grew connected to.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Andrea Peng and I have lived in San Francisco for three years – prior to that I was in Seattle for 14 years!
What is your role/connection to the puzzling world?
I have done jigsaw puzzles for as long as I can remember, which is well over 50 years. ☺️ It’s something I enjoyed as a kid and teen, with my kids when they were young, and now socially with puzzle friends!
Can you give an overview of other puzzling competitions you’ve attended?
I’ve attended state, national and international puzzle championships as well as many local competitions in California.
How did you find out about Oasis’ Puzzle Palooza?
I learned about Puzzle Palooza at a booth at the Trans Pride Parade in June! I was there with my friend and teammate Caroline.
What made you want to compete?
A puzzle competition to support a great cause, of course!
What did you think about the event?
I absolutely loved it! I had two friends join my team, and my daughters made a team with their friend and got third place! The community was so friendly and welcoming.
The artwork by Marcos Chin was one of the best parts of the event. Puzzle competitions are best when no one has seen the image before, and having artwork from someone so talented was really impressive for a local competition.
Andrea with friends and teammates Hannah and Caroline at Oasis’ Puzzle Palooza
How did it compare to other events you’ve been to?
It had a really strong community feel. The event felt more centered on the mission of Oasis than just the puzzles, which added a lot. I loved meeting people who work at Oasis or who already knew about the organization and wanted to support it.
What’s next for you, either in terms of puzzling or beyond?
I’ll continue puzzling for fun and for the social connection.
Any advice you want to give to other potential competitors?
Have fun and don’t take it too seriously. Speed puzzle events are just a great way to turn what is often a solo hobby into a fun group activity so take advantage of that!
Follow Andrea on social media at @penguins_puzzle
Read more about why Speed Puzzlers Champion Oasis’ Mission