Les Mills
Encyclopedia
Leslie Roy Mills CNZM
, MBE, (born 1 November 1934 in Auckland
) is a retired New Zealand
athlete, who represented New Zealand at Olympic Games
and Commonwealth Games
over two decades. He competed in shot put
, discus
and weightlifting events. At the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
he achieved his best result, a gold medal
in discus.
After retiring from active competition, Mills became a gym owner in 1968 and a businessman. He was Mayor of Auckland
, New Zealand's largest city, from 1990 to 1998. He gives his name to Les Mills International
, a company founded by his son Phillip Mills
, who developed a series of group fitness-to-music classes that are available internationally: BODYSTEP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYPUMP, BODYATTACK, BODYBALANCE (known as BODYFLOW in North America), BODYJAM, BODYVIVE, RPM, SH'BAM and CXWORX.
He also has trained New Zealand throwers, such as Beatrice Faumuina
.
Mills's personal best for the shot put was a New Zealand national record
for 44 years, until 16-year-old Jacko Gill
broke it on 23 April 2011 with a throw of 20.01 m
between 1990 and 1998. His Mayoral term commenced with a by-election in 1990 after the resignation of Dame Catherine Tizard
, who had been appointed Governor-General
. The new council had been formed following local body amalgamation in 1989 which saw many of the district borough councils merged into one larger city. Mills' first term oversaw the merger of these many district boroughs into one city. The Aotea Centre
was also opened at the beginning of his term. Other initiatives which commenced on Mills' watch as Mayor included the introduction of the green "wheelie bins", metered user charges for water use, council assets like golf courses were leased to private management, and the city also quit some assets that no longer were of priority, like its abattoir.
Other major events during Mills' tenure included work commencing on the America's Cup
Village at the Auckland viaduct, the commencement and opening of the Sky Tower
and Casino complex that now dominates the Auckland skyline, the redevelopment of the Civic theatre
, and refurbishment of the Auckland Town Hall
.
During this period, the 1998 Auckland power crisis
occurred, which shut down most of the inner city. Mills' Britomart Transport Centre
plans also came under some criticism as being too focused on property development and not enough on transport. His successor Christine Fletcher
led plans for a scaled down Britomart Station without the large property development plans.
Mills was defeated in a three way contest between himself, businessman Richard Holden and eventual winner Christine Fletcher
in 1998. Mills himself was absent for most of the election campaign, leading the New Zealand team at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
, and mentoring the gold medal winning discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina
.
New Zealand Order of Merit
The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order established in 1996 "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have rendered meritorious service to the Crown and nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions or other merits."The order includes five...
, MBE, (born 1 November 1934 in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
) is a retired New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
athlete, who represented New Zealand at Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
and Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
over two decades. He competed in shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
, discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and weightlifting events. At the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
he achieved his best result, a gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in discus.
After retiring from active competition, Mills became a gym owner in 1968 and a businessman. He was Mayor of Auckland
Mayor of Auckland City
The Mayor of Auckland City was the directly elected head of the Auckland City Council, the municipal government of Auckland City, New Zealand. The office existed from 1871 to 2010, when Auckland City Council was abolished and replaced with the Auckland Council....
, New Zealand's largest city, from 1990 to 1998. He gives his name to Les Mills International
Les Mills International
Les Mills International is a New Zealand company that is the world's largest provider of choreographed exercise-to-music group fitness classes distributed to health clubs. The first Les Mills program was BodyStep, with BodyPump being the first program released internationally...
, a company founded by his son Phillip Mills
Phillip Mills
As a founder and Chief Executive of Les Mills International, Phillip Mills is a pioneer and “thought leader” in the global fitness industry and “revolutionized” the modern group-exercise experience. He is also an author and a public advocate for the environment and sustainability in...
, who developed a series of group fitness-to-music classes that are available internationally: BODYSTEP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYPUMP, BODYATTACK, BODYBALANCE (known as BODYFLOW in North America), BODYJAM, BODYVIVE, RPM, SH'BAM and CXWORX.
Athletics career
- 1952: Wins New Zealand Junior Shot and Discus
- 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games1958 British Empire and Commonwealth GamesThe 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Cardiff, capital of Wales from 18–26 July 1958.Thirty-five nations sent a total of 1,130 athletes and 228 officials to the Cardiff Games and 23 countries and dependencies won medals, including, for the first time, Singapore, Ghana, Kenya...
: Discus, Silver Medal - 1960 Summer Olympics1960 Summer OlympicsThe 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
: Captain and Flagbearer for the New Zealand Team. Placed 11th in Shot Put, and 28th in Discus. - 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games1962 British Empire and Commonwealth GamesThe 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from 22 November-1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth....
: 5th place Discus, 6th place Shot. - 1964 Summer Olympics1964 Summer OlympicsThe 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
: 7th place Shot. - 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games1966 British Empire and Commonwealth GamesThe 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 4 August to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions....
: Gold Medal Discus, Silver Medal Shot Put - 1968 Summer Olympics1968 Summer OlympicsThe 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
: Competed injured, 11th place Shot - 1970 British Commonwealth Games1970 British Commonwealth GamesThe 1970 British Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, Scotland from 16 July to 25 July 1970.This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first time metric units rather than imperial units were used in events, and also the first time the games were held in...
: Discus Silver Medal, Shot Put Bronze Medal. - 1972 Summer Olympics1972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
: 14th place Discus, 23rd Shot Put. - 1974–1976 National Sports Director of Papua New GuineaPapua New GuineaPapua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. - 1977–1979 First Director of Coaching in Athletics for New Zealand.
- 1978 Commonwealth Games1978 Commonwealth GamesThe 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec...
New Zealand Coach.
He also has trained New Zealand throwers, such as Beatrice Faumuina
Beatrice Faumuina
Beatrice Roini Liua Faumuina, ONZM is a New Zealand discus thrower, a gold medallist at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics. She has represented New Zealand in three Summer Olympics...
.
Personal bests
| Event | Distance | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discus | 61.52 m | 1971 | |
| Shot put | 19.80 m | Honolulu | 1967 |
Mills's personal best for the shot put was a New Zealand national record
New Zealand records in athletics
The following are the national records in athletics in New Zealand maintained by New Zealand's national athletics federation: Athletics New Zealand ....
for 44 years, until 16-year-old Jacko Gill
Jacko Gill
Jackson "Jacko" Gill is a shot putter from New Zealand.At the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics, he won a gold medal in the shot put...
broke it on 23 April 2011 with a throw of 20.01 m
Mayor of Auckland City
Mills served as the Mayor of Auckland CityMayor of Auckland City
The Mayor of Auckland City was the directly elected head of the Auckland City Council, the municipal government of Auckland City, New Zealand. The office existed from 1871 to 2010, when Auckland City Council was abolished and replaced with the Auckland Council....
between 1990 and 1998. His Mayoral term commenced with a by-election in 1990 after the resignation of Dame Catherine Tizard
Catherine Tizard
Dame Catherine Anne Tizard, was Mayor of Auckland City and the 16th Governor-General of New Zealand, the first woman to hold either office.-Early life:...
, who had been appointed Governor-General
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
. The new council had been formed following local body amalgamation in 1989 which saw many of the district borough councils merged into one larger city. Mills' first term oversaw the merger of these many district boroughs into one city. The Aotea Centre
Aotea Centre
The Aotea Centre is a performing arts and events centre / theatre in the Auckland CBD, Auckland City, New Zealand. Located at the western edge of Aotea Square, off Queen Street, the centre provides cultural venue space in the heart of the city and is managed by 'The Edge'...
was also opened at the beginning of his term. Other initiatives which commenced on Mills' watch as Mayor included the introduction of the green "wheelie bins", metered user charges for water use, council assets like golf courses were leased to private management, and the city also quit some assets that no longer were of priority, like its abattoir.
Other major events during Mills' tenure included work commencing on the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
Village at the Auckland viaduct, the commencement and opening of the Sky Tower
Sky Tower
The Sky Tower is an observation and telecommunications tower located on the corner of Victoria and Federal Streets in the Auckland CBD, Auckland City, New Zealand. It is tall, as measured from ground level to the top of the mast, making it the tallest free-standing structure in the Southern...
and Casino complex that now dominates the Auckland skyline, the redevelopment of the Civic theatre
Auckland Civic Theatre
The Auckland Civic Theatre is a large heritage theatre seating 2,378 people in central Auckland, New Zealand. First opened on 20 December 1929, it was reopened in 2000 after a major renovation and conservation effort...
, and refurbishment of the Auckland Town Hall
Auckland Town Hall
The Auckland Town Hall is a historic building on Queen Street in downtown Auckland, New Zealand, known both for its original and ongoing use for administrative functions , as well as for its famed Great Hall and its separate Concert Chamber...
.
During this period, the 1998 Auckland power crisis
1998 Auckland power crisis
The 1998 Auckland power crisis was a five-week-long power outage.Almost all of downtown Auckland in New Zealand was supplied electricity by Mercury Energy via four power cables, two of them 40-year-old oil-filled cables that were past their replacement date. One of the cables failed on 20 January,...
occurred, which shut down most of the inner city. Mills' Britomart Transport Centre
Britomart Transport Centre
Britomart Transport Centre is the CBD public transport hub of Auckland, New Zealand, and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk line. It combines a bus interchange with a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive post-modernist architectural elements...
plans also came under some criticism as being too focused on property development and not enough on transport. His successor Christine Fletcher
Christine Fletcher
Christine Fletcher, QSO is an Auckland Council councillor and also prominent for her former New Zealand politics positions, both in Parliament and as Mayor of Auckland City. She was the second woman to serve as mayor of Auckland...
led plans for a scaled down Britomart Station without the large property development plans.
Mills was defeated in a three way contest between himself, businessman Richard Holden and eventual winner Christine Fletcher
Christine Fletcher
Christine Fletcher, QSO is an Auckland Council councillor and also prominent for her former New Zealand politics positions, both in Parliament and as Mayor of Auckland City. She was the second woman to serve as mayor of Auckland...
in 1998. Mills himself was absent for most of the election campaign, leading the New Zealand team at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
, and mentoring the gold medal winning discus thrower Beatrice Faumuina
Beatrice Faumuina
Beatrice Roini Liua Faumuina, ONZM is a New Zealand discus thrower, a gold medallist at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics. She has represented New Zealand in three Summer Olympics...
.
Gym and exercise programs
Mills founded a gym Les Mills World of Fitness, now a chain of gyms within New Zealand, and his son Philip Mills has developed a series of ten choreographed, fitness-to-music programs, which are distributed worldwide.External links
- Les Mills Fitness Programs
- Les Mills International (USA) homepage
- Les Mills International (Australia) homepage
- Les Mills in the UK
- Les Mills International (China) homepage
- Profile at New Zealand Commonwealth Games website