Les Mills, New Zealand Olympian behind global gym chain, dies aged 91

The Guardian UK Tuesday 30 June 2026, 03:13 UTC By Eva Corlett in Wellington 1 min read

Key Points

He and his wife opened first Les Mills gym in Auckland in 1968 and family later introduced workout programs including BodyPump taught worldwideLes 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.

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.

Les Mills (ORG) New Zealand (LOCATION) Auckland (LOCATION) BodyPump (ORG) Mills (ORG) Phillip Mills (ORG)

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Les Mills, New Zealand Olympian behind global gym chain, dies aged 91

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