Snap Fitness Backs the LIVIN Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge
In less than three weeks, hundreds of Gold Coasters will climb 1,331 stairs to the top of Q1 for one reason: to help LIVIN keep young Australians talking about mental health. Snap Fitness is proud to support the 2026 LIVIN – Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge on Sunday 23 August, cheering on every participant from street level to SkyPoint.
Mental health content note: this article references suicide and mental illness statistics. If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 (Australia) or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
What Is the LIVIN Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge?
The Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge is an annual charity climb up Q1 in Surfers Paradise, Australia's tallest residential tower. Participants tackle all 77 floors, 1,331 stairs, and 230 vertical metres from ground level to the SkyPoint Observation Deck. You can run it, walk it, or crawl it. There's no wrong way to finish.
The event is open to every fitness level, which is exactly why it's earned a reputation as one of the Gold Coast's most inclusive challenges. Some competitors chase the course record. Most are just there to finish, take in the 360-degree view from the top, and know their steps went toward something bigger than a personal best.
Over its history, the Stair Challenge has raised more than $500,000 for LIVIN, funding mental health education for young Australians right across the country.
Why Does Snap Fitness Support LIVIN?
Snap Fitness has partnered with LIVIN since 2018, and that commitment isn't a one-off sponsorship, it's an ongoing part of how we show up for our communities. LIVIN's mantra, "It Ain't Weak to Speak," lines up with what we believe about fitness itself: showing up, however you're feeling, is the whole point. Nobody has to have it all figured out to walk through the door, whether that door leads to a gym floor or a conversation about mental health.
Supporting an event like the Q1 Stair Challenge is a natural extension of that. It's physical, it's social, and it gives people a genuine reason to move their bodies and support each other at the same time.
What Does LIVIN Actually Do With the Money Raised?
LIVIN is a not-for-profit mental health organisation founded on the Gold Coast in 2013, in memory of a young man who took his own life after suffering in silence. Its focus is early education: getting into schools and workplaces before a crisis happens, not just responding after one.
Funds raised through events like the Stair Challenge go directly toward LIVIN's LIVINWell program, which delivers free mental health education sessions to high schools across Australia. The need is real. Roughly one in five Australians experience some form of mental illness in a given year, and suicide remains the leading cause of death for young Australians. LIVIN's approach is built on the idea that education and open conversation are two of the most effective tools against that.
How Can You Support the Challenge This Year?
You don't need to be climbing to be part of it.
Come cheer. Head to Q1 in Surfers Paradise on the morning of Sunday 23 August. Watching hundreds of people push through 77 floors for a cause is genuinely energising.
Follow along. Snap Fitness will be sharing the day on our socials, including our team's own participation in the climb.
Donate directly. You can support LIVIN's fundraising through the official Q1 Stair Challenge website.
Register to climb. Entries are still open if you want to take on the 1,331 steps yourself.
Every bit of support, whether that's a donation, a cheer from the sidelines, or lacing up and climbing, feeds back into free mental health education for young people who need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the 2026 Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge? The event runs on Sunday 23 August 2026, with check-ins opening from 6:30am and the first wave starting at 7:00am.
How many stairs do participants climb? 1,331 stairs across 77 floors, climbing from street level to the SkyPoint Observation Deck, 230 metres above sea level.
Where does the Stair Challenge take place? At Q1, 9 Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast.
Do I need to be fit to take part? No. The challenge is open to all fitness levels. Participants run, walk, or crawl their way to the top, and there's no minimum pace or fitness requirement to enter.
Where do the funds raised go? Money raised supports LIVIN's LIVINWell program, which delivers free mental health education to high schools across Australia.
Want to build the kind of fitness habit that carries you up 77 flights of stairs? Find your nearest Snap Fitness gym and start moving your mood, at your pace, on your schedule.
If this article has raised anything for you, Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) are available 24/7.