Marko’s deepest interests have always been in physical training and the fine arts. As a child, Marko was a chronic asthmatic and had to be cautious when it came to pushing himself physically. He developed a fear of overexertion, as on multiple occasions this triggered severe asthma attacks. Thankfully, Marko’s mother insisted that he incrementally develop his cardiovascular capacity through swimming and athletics, which immensely reduced the severity of his asthma. After overcoming his asthma, he spent his high school years and early twenties playing rugby union, lifting weights and practising athletics as a 100m sprinter.
After finishing his schooling, Marko worked in construction for 5 years while continuing to practise weightlifting. The repetitive nature of this physical job alongside his weightlifting routine saw the emergence of knee, shoulder and back pain along with general immobility and fragility. Marko was compelled to take responsibility for these physical issues and began exploring more therapeutic physical practices. He first came across Kit Laughlin’s Stretch Therapy, which was monumental in learning to decrease tension in his body. He then discovered Ido Portal's work and began utilising basic movement protocols that radically improved the pain in his shoulders, knees and back.
In 2016, Marko attended Ido Portal’s Movement X seminar in Newcastle and saw first hand how far the human body could be pushed towards developing physical freedom. He was completely captivated by the quality of the movement, the standard of teaching and the logical structure of the process on offer, prompting him to become a serious movement student under the Ido Portal Method for the following four years under the guidance of John Sapinoso. It was at this workshop that Marko met Thomas Emerson. He began teaching at Praksis’ first studio in 2017 before relocating to Sydney where he taught at Jungle Brothers Strength & Movement from 2018 to 2021 and ran his own outdoor classes on the Northern Beaches from 2021 to 2022.
Marko returned to Canberra to rejoin our teaching team in early 2023. He currently follows a rigorous schedule which involves studying and creating fine art full time, while also practising and teaching movement. His intention is to continue exploring his physical and creative potential to the greatest extent possible while sharing what he learns with his students.
Find Marko on Instagram here.
