John Mark grew up in central Pennsylvania before moving to Vero Beach, where he learned to sail 420s with YSF. He sailed with the varsity team throughout high school, traveling to SAISA events and other 420 regattas. He also spent a lot of time sailing on keelboats, sailing a Capri 25 from Vero Beach to Saint Petersburg, FL over the course of a few weeks. He studied Creative Writing at the University of South Florida, and has now come back to YSF as a full-time instructor.
John Mark Gaponiuk
