Charlottetown native Andy O’Brien, right, has been the strength and conditioning coach for Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for the past nine years. O’Brien, 31, has worked with more than 100 NHL athletes, an Olympic swimmer and is in charge of strength and conditioning at the Edge School in Calgary. Submitted photo

When Andy O’Brien was nine years old he was mesmerized by the training montage in the movie Rocky 4, where Rocky Balboa defeats the Russian.
He was so inspired by that movie (he watched it more than 100 times) he developed a keen interest in exercise and conditioning, a passion that would lead the now 31-year-old Charlottetown man to become a personal trainer.
For the past eight years, he’s worked with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, helping the Cole Harbour, N.S., native become one of the top athletes in the National Hockey League. They spend about six or seven weeks together each summer.