At a Glance
- 📅 Date: Sunday 23 August 2026
- ⏰ Climb starts: 9:35am — arrive by 9:00am to collect your race bib, get warmed up and soak in the atmosphere before the ascent begins
- 🛗 Non climbers (aka the Cherubs Cheer Squad): Take the lift shortly after 9:35am
- ☕ Hosted VIP morning tea: Level 78, SkyPoint, approximately 10:15am to 11:00am
- 🌅 Views: Arguably the best on the entire Gold Coast
- 🎉 Special occasion: The official launch celebration of Cherubs Nerang, rebranding from The Learning Cottage Nerang
- 💪 Open to everyone, regardless of fitness level — it is only as challenging as you make it
- 🧡 Raising funds for LIVIN, Australia’s leading mental health awareness charity
- 👕 Complimentary event shirts, free merchandise and live music on the day
- 💵 A $50 fundraising pledge gets you everything included
- 🙌 40 like-minded people already locked in — come and join this incredible community
Something Big Is Happening on the Gold Coast This August
On Sunday 23 August, Ben and Lisa Peasley are bringing two communities together at the top of one of the most iconic buildings in the world, and they want you to be part of it.
Cherubs Early Learning Centre is a proud major sponsor of the 2026 SkyPoint Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge, now in its landmark 10th year. And this year, the climb carries an extra layer of meaning. Ben and Lisa are using the event to officially launch the rebranding of their Nerang centre from The Learning Cottage Nerang to Cherubs Nerang, bringing together the Banora Point and Nerang communities for the very first time.
The Nerang community sits just to the west of Q1 and just west of the M1. This event is practically on your doorstep. And if you have been looking for a reason to be part of something bigger than yourself this winter, this is it.
What Is the SkyPoint Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge?
Now in its 10th year, the SkyPoint Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge is one of the Gold Coast’s most beloved annual charity events. Hundreds of participants from across Queensland and beyond take on the iconic Q1 tower in Surfers Paradise, climbing 77 floors and 1,331 stairs from street level to the SkyPoint Observation Deck, 230 metres above the Gold Coast skyline.
The event raises funds for LIVIN, founded in honour of Dwayne Lally, a great man who lost his life to mental illness. LIVIN’s mission is simple and powerful: break the stigma around mental health so that no one ever has to suffer in silence again. Their message, It Ain’t Weak to Speak, has inspired thousands of Australians to open up, seek help and look out for the people around them.
In 2025, over 400 participants climbed together and raised more than $70,000 for LIVIN’s programs. For 2026, the goal is even bigger.
Is This for Me? Absolutely Yes.
One of the most common reasons people talk themselves out of this event is fitness. And we want to put that to rest right now.
The SkyPoint Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge is genuinely open to everyone. People who are just getting their fitness back, people who have never done anything like this before, parents, grandparents, teenagers and seasoned athletes all take on this climb together. You can walk it, run it, jog it or take it one step at a time. Most participants complete the climb in 18 to 20 minutes.
The climb is challenging. But it is only as challenging as you make it. And the view waiting at the top makes every single step worth it.
How the Day Works
9:35am — Participants begin their ascents from street level at Q1, 9 Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise.
Shortly after 9:35am — The Cherubs Cheer Squad takes the lifts to Level 78 to get the best seats in the house before the climbers arrive.
Approximately 10:15am to 11:00am — Hosted VIP morning tea on Level 78 at SkyPoint. Live music, free merchandise, complimentary event shirts and some of the best views on the entire east coast of Australia.
How to Get Involved
Option 1: Do the Climb and Join the Morning Tea.
Register for the event and raise a minimum of $50 for LIVIN. Your pledge includes your complimentary event shirt, entry to the climb and access to the hosted Cherubs morning tea at Level 78. All proceeds go directly to LIVIN’s mental health education programs.
Register at q1stairchallenge.com and join our team fundraising page below.
Once you are registered, we encourage every climber to share their fundraising page on social media. And if you know someone who is climbing, share their page too. Every share puts LIVIN in front of more people, every dollar raised makes a real difference, and together we can make this the biggest and most successful Q1 Stair Challenge yet for our incredible charity partner LIVIN and for this event that means so much to our community.
Join our Cherubs team fundraising page here
Option 2: Join Us for the Morning Tea Only.
Not keen on the climb? Come straight up. Take the lift to Level 78 and join us for morning tea, live music and free merchandise from approximately 10:15am.
What Your $50 Fundraising Pledge Gets You
- A complimentary 2026 event shirt exclusive to this year
- Entry to the climb at 9:35am
- Access to the Cherubs hosted morning tea at Level 78 from approximately 10:15am
- Live music and a genuinely celebratory atmosphere
- Free merchandise on the day
- Every dollar raised goes directly to LIVIN’s mental health education programs
Come and Celebrate With Us
This year’s event is more than a stair climb for Cherubs. It is the moment we formally introduce Cherubs Nerang to the Gold Coast community and bring our Banora Point families and our Nerang families together for the first time.
We already have 40 incredible people locked in and committed. A community of like-minded people ready to climb, celebrate and show up for mental health. We cannot wait to see who joins them next. Drop into either of our centres or reach out online and our teams will get you sorted.
Cherubs Early Learning Centre, Banora Point
📞 (07) 5524 8778
📧 [email protected]
Cherubs Nerang (formerly The Learning Cottage Nerang)
📍 76 Yarrimbah Drive, Nerang QLD 4211
📞 (07) 5596 5961
Sunday 23 August 2026. Q1 Tower, 9 Hamilton Avenue, Surfers Paradise. Climb starts 9:35am.
Come for the climb. Come for the views. Come to be part of a community that shows up for mental health and shows up for each other.
We will see you at the top.
Ben and Lisa Peasley
Co-owners, Cherubs Early Learning Centre and Cherubs Nerang
Cherubs Early Learning Centre is a proud major sponsor of the 2026 SkyPoint Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge in support of LIVIN Mental Health. It Ain’t Weak to Speak.
