THE STORIES BEHIND THE NEWS

Les Mills, Legendary Athlete and Industry Titan, Passes Away

The global industry mourns the loss of a founding father.

Les Mills, a New Zealand Olympic legend and one of the most recognizable names in the history of the fitness industry, died June 29 at age 91. The co-founder of Les Mills New Zealand gyms and the namesake of Les Mills International, a global group fitness empire founded by his son and daughter-in-law, Phillip and Jackie Mills, Les leaves a legacy that will carry on for generations.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1934, Les lost his father at age 11 but found purpose in fitness, drawing early inspiration from the Charles Atlas strength training program. He went on to represent New Zealand in four Olympic Games, competing in the discus and shot put, and won a Commonwealth Games gold medal, three silver medals, and a bronze before becoming an elite international coach and sports administrator.

At 19, Les married Colleen Maree Knight, herself a world-class track and field athlete, and the couple pursued several business ventures together before opening the first Les Mills gym in Auckland in 1968. After a slow start, the gym grew into a chain that remains a fixture of New Zealand fitness culture.

“The purpose of the gym is to help people fall in love with fitness,” Les said at the time of the launch.

The Mills family includes Phillip, Jackie, Les, and Diana.

While Colleen, Phillip, and Jackie built Les Mills International and took group exercise worldwide with programs such as BODYPUMP, Les entered politics. He was elected to three terms as mayor of Auckland City, serving from 1990 to 1998, and led infrastructure reforms and redevelopment of the city’s waterfront.

After leaving office, Les continued coaching athletes, supporting the family business, and backing charitable causes. He was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services to sport in the 1973 Queen’s Birthday Honors, and in 2002 was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government and sport. In 2022, alongside Phillip and Jackie, he was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

In a video reflecting on his life, Les recalled buying his first gym: “We wanted a business that was healthy and good and we were happy with. And we did all right. It was a family business. It always has been. I hope that it always will be.”

In the announcement about his father's death, Phillip, who serves as managing director of Les Mills International, said his father’s drive carried through every part of his life, much of it dedicated to inspiring and uplifting others.

“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 people. Dad was immensely strong, driven, and always cared deeply for the less advantaged.”

Phillip was enshrined in the HFA Hall of Fame last March, acknowledging his father’s enduring influence on the movement that bears his name.

“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.”

HFA Interim President and CEO Greta Wagner praised Les Mills’ visionary influence on the global industry.

“Les Mills Sr. leaves behind a legacy that reaches far beyond New Zealand,” Wagner says. “The clubs he and Colleen built in Auckland demonstrated how fitness facilities can strengthen communities and improve public health, while the Les Mills International programs transformed the way health clubs around the world engage, motivate, and retain their members through the power of group fitness.”

Wagner adds that she first met Mills during the early years of opening Chelsea Piers, and that it was clear even then that he had inspired something much bigger than a fitness brand—he had helped build a movement that brought people together through exercise, making fitness more welcoming and accessible. Les Mills International, she notes, has long been a supporter of HFA’s mission to protect, promote, and grow the fitness industry.

Les was preceded in death by Colleen, who died in 2005. He is survived by his children, Phillip and Donna; daughter-in-law Jackie; grandchildren Diana, Les Jr., Gabriel, and Moana; and several great-grandchildren.

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Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading health and fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues, and news that impact the industry.

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