ic ▁scholar ship , ▁he ▁competed ▁with ▁the ▁NCAA ▁Division ▁I ▁V ars ity ▁Sw imming ▁program , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁multiple ▁America ▁East ▁Conference ▁Sw imming ▁Champion . ▁He ▁also ▁managed ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁multiple ▁Royal ▁Canadian ▁Hen ley ▁Reg atta ▁and ▁US ▁National ▁Champion ▁in ▁the ▁sport ▁of ▁row ing ▁during ▁his ▁off - season . ▁Additionally , ▁Mark ▁was ▁the ▁sw imming ▁representative ▁for ▁the ▁Student ▁Ath lete ▁Ad vis ory ▁Board ▁( SA AB ) ▁at ▁Dre x el . ▁ ▁Professional ▁row ing ▁career ▁ ▁Mark ▁worked ▁profession ally ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁C IG NA ▁Corporation ▁before ▁turning ▁into ▁a ▁professional ▁ro wer ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁he ▁trained ▁and ▁competed ▁with ▁German ▁National ▁and ▁Olympic ▁Team ▁athlet es . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁been ▁fully ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁Row ing ▁Federation , ▁from ▁which ▁I rad j ▁El - Q al q ili ▁arranged ▁him ▁to ▁train ▁under ▁coach ▁Martin ▁St ro hmen ger ▁and ▁R ita ▁Hend es ▁in ▁Hamburg , ▁Germany . ▁ ▁Mark ▁trained ▁at ▁the ▁Rud er - G es ellschaft ▁H AN SA ▁e . V ., ▁located ▁along ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Al ster ▁and ▁competed ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁international ▁events ▁for ▁Palest ine : ▁ ▁Disc rim ination ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁his ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁Dre x el ▁University , ▁Ger ban ▁wrote ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁articles ▁for ▁the ▁university ' s ▁student ▁newspaper , ▁The