Ski and snowboard
Legs that last to the last run, deep stance in boots, and landings you can stick.
This work.That feeling.
Strength and conditioning for action sports: snow, surf, skate, climbing and beyond. We coach Olympic-level athletes and weekend riders with the same method: test, train for the demands of your sport, retest.
Action sports
Snow, surf, skate and climbing at the core. If your sport takes you outside and off the ground, we get it.
Olympic level
A Youth Olympic medallist and 10+ NSW Institute of Sport scholarship athletes. Every client gets the same coaching.
We live it
We're on the mountain, in the water, at the park and on the wall too. We know the feeling you're chasing.
Footscray + online
Train with us in Melbourne, or online wherever your sport takes you.
Rated 5.0 by our clients on Google · Read the reviews
Built for your sport
We know what your sport asks of you.
Every sport loads the body differently. We train for the moments that matter in yours, not for a generic gym program.
Surf
Paddle endurance, a quicker pop-up and a body that holds up through a long session.
Skate
Landing control, power for the next trick, and knowing how to fall well.
And the
rest
rest
Climbing, trail and beyond
Rock climbing, trail running, mountain biking and whatever else gets you outside. Same principles, built around your sport.
From the athletes and coaches
Don't take our word for it.
"You helped me get to the Youth Olympics and win a medal by ensuring I was physical and mentally sound enough to even become a contender for it, and then ramping it up even more to put me in contention for a medal."
"High level coach. Very good product."
"Hugh is a terrific coach and incredibly knowledgeable and professional, building great relationships with athletes."
"Hugh's technical knowledge and ability to translate to my specific needs and goals in a way I understand is incredible. In only a few sessions with him I was able to feel the difference in my overall strength."
"I feel so much stronger, but I know I can get even stronger with Hugh's help. Helped me get into my freeride career."
One system. Three ways in.
The principles don't change. Force, range, resilience, preparation. What changes is who's using them and what they're chasing. Pick the one that sounds like you.
Athlete Development Pathways
The development pathway that takes riders from FUNdamentals to podium potential, and beyond.
For athletes →
Weekend Warrior
It's a mindset. Training that lets you keep doing the things you love. The same athletic development, for anyone chasing that feeling.
For life →
Club Land
Clubs, teams and academies who want structured S&C for their people. One program, a whole squad.
For clubs →The principles are the same.
Gravity sports don't ask for preparation the way field sports do. The sport itself is the training. But there's a question worth sitting with: how much are you leaving out there? How many more laps, how many more seasons? I started asking that with skiers. What became obvious is that the work behind a better skier is the same work behind a stronger anyone.
How we coach
Test. Train. Retest.
The same method for an Olympian and a weekend rider. No guesswork, no generic plans.
01
Test
We start with where you're at: strength, balance, power and how you move. Measured, not guessed.
02
Train
A program built around your sport, your level and the season you're heading into. In person or online.
03
Retest
Every block ends with a retest, so you can see what's changed and we can plan what's next.
Three ways to train
Pick the one that fits your week.
In person
From $40per session · Footscray
Coached sessions 1:1, with a partner or in a small group.
See in-person options →Online coaching
$55per week
Your program, check-ins, video feedback and your coach on call, wherever you train.
See online coaching →Self-run programs
$25per week
A structured program for your sport that you run yourself in our training app.
See the programs →The people behind the work.
Real coaches who live this. On the mountain, in the water, and in the room with you.
Hugh O'Keefe
Founder & head coachDamian
CoachThe more you understand, the more likely you are to stick to it.
These sports take you far from any gym or coach, so the more you understand, the further you can go on your own. Pillar's building a library of real lessons on how we train, why it transfers, and the things around the sport that matter just as much. A place to learn it, and a place to come back to.
Follow the work
Follow @_pillarofstrength
See it on Instagram.
Training, testing, riding and the people behind it.
Your season is coming.
Training that lands before the moment does.