Fitness brand founder and Olympian Les Mills dies aged 91
Fitness brand founder and Olympian Les Mills dies aged 91Image source, Getty ImagesByLauren TurnerPublished29 June 2026, 11:52 BSTUpdated 4 minutes agoFitness expert and former Olympian Les Mills has died at the age of...
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A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Fitness brand founder and Olympian Les Mills dies aged 91Image source, Getty ImagesByLauren TurnerPublished29 June 2026, 11:52 BSTUpdated 4 minutes agoFitness expert and former Olympian Les Mills has died at the age of 91, his family has said. The New Zealander first opened a gym in Auckland with his late wife Colleen in 1968, and it later became a nationwide chain. The Les Mills International brand is now known around the world for choreographed workouts set to music, like Body Pump and Body Combat.
Mills, who competed in shot putt and discus at four Olympic Games, later served as mayor of Auckland. Mills' son Phillip, who set up Les Mills International with partner Jackie on the back of his parents' gyms, said he "achieved a huge amount in his life". He added: "And the common thread throughout – whether in fitness, politics or family life – was that he always wanted to help others.
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"Dad was immensely strong, driven, and always cared deeply for the less advantaged. "He said that his father's "spirit lives on in gym workouts around the world, continuing to help people fall in love with fitness". Mills won five Commonwealth Games medals, including discus gold in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1966.
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Mills competed in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan Turning his attention to local politics in the 1990s, he served three terms as mayor of Auckland City. He kept involved in the world of sport by working as a coach, including for New Zealand discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina, who took the world title in 1997. He was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2002 for services to local government and sport, and a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1973 for services to sport.
Nicki Nicol, CEO of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, said: "Les Mills set a standard for what it takes to represent New Zealand at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. "She added that "his place in New Zealand's Olympic history is firmly established and no doubt his legacy will continue to inspire".
The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.
