His spirit lives on in gym workouts around the world
Les Mills, born in Auckland in 1934, lived a life that traced the arc from personal discipline to global influence — from a boy running in a local park to an Olympian, a mayor, and the founder of a fitness philosophy now practiced in over a hundred countries. He died peacefully at 91, leaving behind not merely a brand, but a belief that movement is a gift worth sharing. His story reminds us that the most lasting legacies are often built not in moments of singular triumph, but in the quiet, repeated act of opening a door and inviting others in.
- A four-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Mills carried New Zealand's flag on the world stage for over a decade before his greatest chapter had even begun.
- In 1968, sensing a shift in how the world thought about the body, he opened a single gym in Auckland — a modest bet that would eventually reshape how millions of people exercise.
- His son Phillip took that local chain and engineered a global transformation, turning choreographed classes like BodyPump and BodyCombat into a fitness lingua franca spoken in studios across more than a hundred countries.
- Mills also served Auckland as mayor through the 1990s and spent years in Papua New Guinea building sports infrastructure, revealing a man whose ambitions were civic as much as commercial.
- At 91, he leaves behind a family still leading the enterprise, four grandchildren carrying his name and spirit, and gym floors around the world where his philosophy quietly endures.
Les Mills, the New Zealand athlete and fitness entrepreneur who helped reshape how the world moves, died peacefully at 91. Born in Auckland in 1934, he first found athletics as a child racing in a local park — a beginning that would lead him to four Olympic Games competing in discus and shot put, and five Commonwealth Games medals, including gold in discus at Kingston in 1966. Two years later, he set a national shot put record that would stand for forty-four years.
But it was after his competitive years that Mills built his most enduring legacy. Inspired by what he witnessed during an athletics scholarship in the United States, he opened the first Les Mills gymnasium in Auckland in 1968. The single facility grew into a chain of twelve gyms across New Zealand. His son Phillip later transformed the family name into something global: Les Mills International, a brand that packaged group fitness classes — BodyPump, BodyCombat, and others — and delivered them to studios in more than a hundred countries, teaching millions the same choreographed movements.
Mills was more than an athlete and entrepreneur. He served as Auckland's mayor from 1990 to 1998, and spent two years in Papua New Guinea directing the national sports program, building facilities and training staff across the Pacific. Phillip Mills remembered his father as a man of immense drive who never forgot those with fewer advantages — someone whose spirit, he said, lives on in gym workouts around the world. Mills is survived by his children Phillip and Donna, four grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.
Les Mills, the New Zealand track-and-field athlete who became a titan of the global fitness industry, died Monday at 91. His company announced the death in a brief statement, offering no specific cause but noting that he passed peacefully.
Mills was born in Auckland in 1934 and first discovered athletics at eleven, running a race in a local park. He would go on to represent New Zealand at four Olympic Games, competing in discus and shot put, and collected five medals at the Commonwealth Games. His most celebrated achievement came in 1966 when he won gold for discus at the Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica. Two years later, he set a New Zealand national record in shot put—19.81 meters—that would stand unbroken for forty-four years.
But Mills' most enduring mark came not from the track but from the gym floor. After witnessing the fitness industry's expansion during an athletics scholarship in the United States, he opened the first Les Mills gymnasium in Auckland in 1968. What began as a single facility grew into a chain of twelve gyms across New Zealand, each bearing his name and philosophy. His son Phillip would later transform the family enterprise into something far larger: Les Mills International, a global brand that packaged group fitness classes—BodyPump, BodyCombat, and others—and distributed them to studios in more than one hundred countries. The classes became ubiquitous in gyms worldwide, teaching millions of people the same choreographed movements.
Beyond business and sport, Mills served Auckland as mayor from 1990 to 1998, leading the country's largest city through a transformative decade. He also worked as a coach and sports administrator, roles that took him to Papua New Guinea from 1974 to 1976, where he directed the national sports program and built facilities and trained staff across the Pacific nation.
Phillip Mills released a statement reflecting on his father's character: he described a man of immense strength and drive, someone who never lost sight of those with fewer advantages. "His spirit lives on in gym workouts around the world," Phillip said, "continuing to help people fall in love with fitness." Mills' wife Colleen died in 2005. He is survived by his children Phillip and Donna, his daughter-in-law Jackie, four grandchildren—Diana, Les Jr., Gabriel, and Moana—and numerous great-grandchildren.
Notable Quotes
Dad was immensely strong, driven, and always cared deeply for the less advantaged. He left a lasting impression on everyone he met, and his spirit lives on in gym workouts around the world, continuing to help people fall in love with fitness.— Phillip Mills, his son
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What made Mills decide to leave athletics and build a gym business instead?
He saw something in America during his scholarship days—the fitness industry was growing in ways New Zealand hadn't yet experienced. He came home and decided to build that here, starting with one gym in Auckland.
So he went from competing at the Olympics to running a business. That's a big shift.
It is, but in a way it wasn't a shift at all. He was still building strength, still coaching people, still driven by the same competitive spirit. He just changed the arena.
His son took the business global with those branded classes. Did Les Mills see that coming?
We don't know what he anticipated, but he built something solid enough that his son could expand it into something his father probably couldn't have imagined—classes taught in over a hundred countries, all using the same format.
He was also mayor of Auckland. How did he balance all of this?
He was a man who didn't seem to do things halfway. Mayor, businessman, former athlete, sports administrator in the Pacific. Each role got his full attention.
What's his real legacy—the Olympics, the gyms, the politics?
Maybe it's that he showed you could be excellent at multiple things. He won gold at the Commonwealth Games. He built a business that still operates. He led a major city. Most people choose one lane. He seemed to thrive in several at once.