Les Mills, fitness brand founder and Olympian, dies at
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- Les Mills died at age 91, his family announced, with his son Phillip saying his father was 'immensely strong, driven, and always cared deeply for the less advantaged'
- Mills opened his first gym in Auckland with his late wife Colleen in 1968, and it grew into a nationwide chain
- Les Mills International, set up by his son Phillip and partner Jackie on the back of the family gyms, became a global brand known for choreographed programs like Body Pump and Body Combat
- Mills competed in shot put and discus at four Olympic Games and won five Commonwealth Games medals, including discus gold at Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966
- Mills served three terms as mayor of Auckland City after turning to local politics in the 1990s
- Mills coached New Zealand discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina to the 1997 world title, staying involved in sport after his own competitive career
- Mills was appointed MBE in 1973 for services to sport and Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002
Why it matters: Les Mills International programs run in gyms worldwide, meaning the fitness routines born from a single 1968 Auckland gym continue to shape how millions train daily. His death ends the era of a rare figure who bridged elite athletics, global fitness culture, and local politics in New Zealand.
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