Les Mills, Olympian and global gym founder, dies at 91
Les Mills, the four-time New Zealand Olympian and founder of the global Les Mills fitness brand, has died aged 91. His family confirmed the news on Monday, 29 June 2026. Mills opened an Auckland gym in 1968 that grew into choreographed group workouts used in clubs worldwide—a legacy his son Phillip said lives on in every gym session.
Les Mills Snr passed away peacefully at 3:30 a.m. after a sudden turn on Sunday, his son Phillip Mills told RNZ. The death marks the end of a life that shaped modern group fitness from Auckland to more than 100 countries.
Key Takeaways
- Les Mills died aged 91 on 29 June 2026; his family announced his passing on Monday.
- He competed at four Olympics and won five Commonwealth Games medals before founding the Les Mills gym chain in 1968.
- His son Phillip and partner Jackie turned the brand into Les Mills International, exporting music-driven classes like BodyPump worldwide.
- Mills served as mayor of Auckland City from 1990 to 1998 and received honours including MBE and CNZM.
- Tributes have poured in from Olympic officials, current Auckland leaders, and former Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Who was Les Mills and why does his death matter?
Leslie Roy Mills was born in Auckland in 1934 and became one of New Zealand's most recognisable sports and business figures. Before the Les Mills name appeared on gym walls worldwide, he represented his country in shot put and discus across four Olympic Games from 1960 to 1972.
He won five Commonwealth Games medals, including discus gold at the 1966 Games in Kingston, Jamaica. His personal best shot put stood as a New Zealand record for 44 years, according to the NZ Herald.
How did Les Mills grow from one Auckland gym into a global brand?
Mills and his wife Colleen opened their first gym on Victoria Street in central Auckland in 1968. Phillip Mills joined the business full-time in 1980, and with his partner Jackie developed the music-driven group-fitness model that defines Les Mills International today.
Classes such as BodyAttack, BodyPump and BodyBalance are now licensed in more than 100 countries. There are 12 Les Mills gyms across New Zealand. That scale of adoption shows how one local gym evolved into a template for modern fitness—topics we often cover in our Future Tech & AI Wonders section.
What else did Les Mills achieve beyond fitness?
After retiring from competition in 1975, Mills served as national sports director in Papua New Guinea and coached discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina to a world title in 1997. He entered politics and served three terms as mayor of Auckland City from 1990 to 1998.
Major projects during his tenure included work on the America's Cup Village at the Viaduct, the Sky Tower and SkyCity complex, and refurbishment of Auckland Town Hall. Queen's Birthday honours brought him an MBE in 1973 and CNZM status in 2002.
What are people saying after his death?
Phillip Mills said his father always wanted to help others and that his spirit lives on in gym workouts around the world. Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown called him another tōtara that has fallen, and Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson credited his council work for transforming the waterfront.
New Zealand Olympic Committee chief executive Nicki Nicol said Mills set a standard for what it takes to represent New Zealand at the Games. Former Prime Minister Helen Clark wrote on X that he was a major contributor to New Zealand through local government, sport, and business.
Les Mills is survived by his children Phillip and Donna, daughter-in-law Jackie, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Colleen Mills died in 2005.