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Trailblazing Kiwi athlete, businessman and politician Les Mills Snr has died today aged 91.
Initially making his name as an athlete, Mills' name became synonymous with the Les Mills gym chain, while also serving as Auckland's Mayor from 1990 to 1998.
Together with his wife Colleen, he created a fitness dynasty, first through the Les Mills New Zealand (LMNZ) chain of gyms and then Les Mills International, the group training powerhouse started by their son Phillip and his partner Jackie, now supported by their children Diana and Les Jnr.
As an athlete he won five Commonwealth Games medals in the discus and shot put, including gold in the discus at the 1966 Games in Kingston.
He also attended four Olympics, finishing seventh in the shot put at the Tokyo Games in 1964 and was the flagbearer in Rome in 1960.
Following this, he became an elite international coach and sports administrator.
Born in Auckland in 1934, Mills had a tough start in life, losing his father at age 11, but he found solace in his passion for fitness and physical culture, inspired by the Charles Atlas strength training programme.
Aged 19, Les married his wife Colleen – herself a world-class track and field athlete - and the pair embarked on several business ventures together.
They united their passion for sport and commerce to launch the first Les Mills gym in Auckland in 1968. After a few false starts, the gym business eventually took off and became the successful LMNZ chain of gyms that remain a cornerstone of Kiwi culture.
While Phillip, Jackie and Colleen were busy building Les Mills International and taking group workouts global with the explosion of BODYPUMP™, Les entered politics with characteristic determination to drive change for his constituents.
He served three terms as Mayor of Auckland City in the 1990s, leading sweeping reforms to strengthen communities and improve infrastructure.
After leaving politics, Les continued to coach athletes, help grow the family businesses and support several charity initiatives.
In 2002, he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours, being made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government and sport.
This complemented the earlier 1973 Queen’s Birthday Honours appointment as a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to sport.
In 2022, together with Phillip and Jackie Mills, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.
"He achieved a huge amount in his life. And the common thread throughout – whether in fitness, politics or family life – was that he always wanted to help others," managing director of Les Mills International, Phillip Mills, said of his father.
"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."
Having lost Colleen in 2005, Les is survived by his children Phillip and Donna, daughter-in-law Jackie, grandchildren Diana, Les Jr, Gabriel and Moana, plus many great-grandchildren.
- Allied Media