Death of Les Mills, NZ Olympian and fitness brand founder, aged 91
Consensus Summary
Les Mills, a New Zealand Olympian and founder of the global fitness brand Les Mills International, died aged 91 in June 2026. Born in Auckland in 1934, he competed in four Olympic Games and won five Commonwealth Games medals in shot put and discus. After retiring from athletics, he opened a gym in Auckland in 1968 with his wife, Colleen, which grew into a worldwide chain offering music-driven group workouts like BodyPump and BodyCombat. Mills also served as mayor of Auckland from 1990 to 1998 and was honored with an MBE in 1973 and a CNZM in 2002. His son, Phillip, emphasized his fatherâs dedication to helping others, while the New Zealand Olympic Committee praised his legacy in sport. The familyâs business continues to inspire fitness enthusiasts globally.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Les Mills (born Leslie Roy Mills) died aged 91 in 2026
- He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1934
- Competed in four Olympic Games (1960â1972) in shot put and discus
- Won five Commonwealth Games medals, including discus gold at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica
- Founded the first Les Mills gym in Auckland in 1968 with his wife, Colleen
- Son Phillip Mills joined the business full-time in 1980
- Les Mills served as mayor of Auckland from 1990 to 1998
- Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1973 for services to sport
- Appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2002 for services to local government and sport
- Les Mills Internationalâs group workout programs (BodyPump, BodyAttack, BodyCombat) are taught in over 22,000 fitness clubs across more than 100 countries
- Les Mills and his family were inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2022
- Phillip Mills stated his father âalways cared deeply for the less advantagedâ and âwanted to help othersâ
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Les Mills helped guide New Zealand discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina to a world title in 1997 and Commonwealth Games gold in 1998
- Juliet Yates, a former Auckland Council member, described him as âa very, very pleasant person to work withâ and said his mayoral achievements benefited the whole city
- Les Millsâs partner, Jackie, helped develop the music-driven group-fitness model central to the brandâs global expansion
- Les Mills turned to fitness after losing his father aged 11
- The New Zealand Olympic Committee called him âone of the most respected figures in athleticsâ and said he âset a standard for representing New Zealandâ
- Phillip Mills told the NZ Herald his father died peacefully at 3:30am on Monday, June 30, 2026, surrounded by family
- Les Mills âreally cared about all the communities in Aucklandâ as mayor, according to Phillip Mills
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian states Les Mills died on June 30, 2026, at 3:30am, while ABC does not specify the exact time of death
Source Articles
Les Mills, NZ Olympian and founder of global fitness brand, dies aged 91
The New Zealand Olympian who opened an Auckland gym in 1968 that grew into an international group fitness brand has died aged 91.
Les Mills, New Zealand Olympian behind global gym chain, dies aged 91
He and his wife opened first Les Mills gym in Auckland in 1968 and family later introduced workout programs including BodyPump taught worldwide Les Mills, the New Zealand Olympian and former Auckland mayor whose name is synonymous with his global fitness chain, has died aged 91. In a statement released on Monday, Phillip Mills said his father had achieved a huge amount in his life and the common thread throughout was his desire to help others. Continue reading...