Story Marrko Core
My name is Martin Kofroň, and I created the MARRKO CORE rehabilitation and fitness system. It all started with a series of events in 2012. I was deployed, as a member of the 43rd Airborne Battalion, on a mission to Afghanistan and suffered a spinal injury. After I returned home, my condition kept getting worse - my spine was painful with limited mobility, and over time, I also developed tingling in my legs. After 14 days of daily one-hour rehabilitation sessions at a rehab center, I felt my first hint of relief, but the pain still didn’t entirely go away.
At home, I turned my gym into a small research center, where I hung in different positions and exercised in relieving postures. One day, I was taking down a climbing rope that I had tied with tight knots so I could hang for longer. The knots were so tight they wouldn’t come undone. I grabbed a knife, cut the rope, and tossed it in the corner.
“Something this simple can’t possibly be that effective.”
As the rope lay on the floor, it hit me - you could use it for exercise. I tried it and couldn’t believe the relief it provided from pain. It was very intense. “Something this simple can’t be that effective.” The opposite is true - even simple things can be ingenious.
Visible body shaping was a bonus of daily training - because the entire CORE was working! Soon, I
built the prototype. Day by day, my trunk muscles grew stronger and stronger.
After a long time, I
could sleep without pain and even touch my toes..
I wanted to help others, so I launched the MARRKO CORE project.
First, I contacted the Academy of Arts, Architecture, and Design in Prague. The school’s leadership
was interested in the project, and 11 students from the Industrial Design Studio started working on
the MARRKO CORE design.
Bit by bit - adding a little here, removing a little there - from sketches
and philosophy all the way to a functional model, I was right in the middle of it. When you finally
hold the finished product in your hands, it feels like you own the world.
The Academy is respected
both domestically and internationally, and its students deserve credit for making MARRKO CORE
not only a world-class tool for sport and rehabilitation but also a top-tier piece of design.
Soon, I received more great news - this time from Charles University in Prague. The Faculty of Physical Education and Sport tested MARRKO CORE, which clearly confirmed what I had intuitively known from the very beginning.
Current tests show a measurable effect in strengthening core (trunk) muscles.
„My goal is to increase its use in preventing back pain.“
Join the MARRKO CORE project and help spread the word - just by telling people - so we can support others, whether they’re dealing with pain, want to get better at sports, aren’t happy with their appearance, or want to stay active.
Thank you, Martin Kofroň,
MARRKO CORE