Les Mills facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Les Mills CNZM MBE JP
36th Mayor of Auckland City
In office 1990–1998
Preceded by	Catherine Tizard
Succeeded by	Christine Fletcher
Personal details
Born	Leslie Roy Mills (1934-11-01) 1 November 1934 (age 90) Auckland, New Zealand
Spouse	Colleen Maree Mills (d. 2005)
Children	Phillip Mills Donna Mills
Les Mills Personal information Height 188 cm Weight 121 kg Sport Sport Athletics Event(s) Shot put, discus throw Club Auckland Achievements and titles Personal best(s) Shot put – 19.80 m (1967) Discus – 61.52 m (1971) Medal record Men's athletics Representing  New Zealand Commonwealth Games Silver 1958 Cardiff Discus throw Gold 1966 Kingston Discus throw Silver 1966 Kingston Shot put Silver 1970 Edinburgh Discus throw Bronze 1970 Edinburgh Shot put

Leslie Roy Mills (born 1 November 1934) is a New Zealander who used to be a professional athlete. He also became a successful businessman and a politician.

He competed for New Zealand in the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games for more than 20 years. He was known for his skills in the shot put and discus throw. Les Mills won five medals at the Commonwealth Games, including a gold medal in discus in 1966.

In 1968, he started his first gym. This led to the creation of Les Mills International, a big fitness company. His son, Phillip Mills, later took over and grew the company. Les Mills also served as the Mayor of Auckland City, New Zealand's biggest city, from 1990 to 1998.

Athletics Career Highlights

Les Mills had a long and successful career in athletics. He was a top athlete in New Zealand for many years.

• 1952: Won New Zealand Junior titles in shot put and discus.
• 1958 Commonwealth Games: Won a silver medal in discus.
• 1960 Summer Olympics: Was the captain and flag bearer for the New Zealand team. He finished 11th in shot put.
• 1962 Commonwealth Games: Placed 5th in discus and 6th in shot put.
• 1964 Summer Olympics: Finished 7th in shot put.
• 1966 Commonwealth Games: Won a gold medal in discus and a silver medal in shot put.
• 1968 Summer Olympics: Competed while injured and placed 11th in shot put.
• 1970 Commonwealth Games: Won a silver medal in discus and a bronze medal in shot put.
• 1972 Summer Olympics: Was again the Olympic flag bearer for New Zealand.
• 1974–1976: Worked as the National Sports Director for Papua New Guinea.
• 1977–1979: Became the first Director of Coaching in Athletics for New Zealand.
• 1978 Commonwealth Games: Was a coach for the New Zealand team.

Les Mills also coached other New Zealand throwers, like Beatrice Faumuina. His personal best throw for the shot put was a national record for 44 years. This record was finally broken in 2011 by 16-year-old Jacko Gill.

Mayor of Auckland City

Les Mills was the Mayor of Auckland City from 1990 to 1998. A Mayor is the leader of a city's government.

He became Mayor in 1990 after the previous Mayor, Dame Catherine Tizard, became the Governor-General of New Zealand. This meant a special election was held. His first term as Mayor involved bringing many smaller local councils together to form one larger Auckland City.

During his time as Mayor, many important things happened:

• The Aotea Centre, a large events venue, was opened.
• The city started using green "wheelie bins" for rubbish collection.
• New charges were introduced for water use.
• Some city-owned places, like golf courses, were rented out to private companies.
• The city also sold some properties that were no longer important, like its old abattoir (a place where animals are prepared for meat).

Other big projects during his time included:

• Work began on the America's Cup Village at the Auckland viaduct. This was for the famous sailing race.
• The Sky Tower and Casino complex started being built and then opened. This tall tower now stands out in the Auckland skyline.
• The Civic theatre was updated.
• The Auckland Town Hall was also renovated.

In 1998, a major power cut happened in Auckland, which affected most of the inner city. Les Mills' plans for the Britomart Transport Centre also received some criticism. People thought his plans focused too much on building new properties and not enough on improving transport. His successor, Christine Fletcher, later changed these plans to be more about transport.

In the 1998 election, Les Mills lost to Christine Fletcher. He was away for most of the election campaign. He was in Malaysia, leading the New Zealand team at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. He was also helping Beatrice Faumuina, who won a gold medal in discus there.

Honours and Awards

Les Mills has received several important awards for his contributions to New Zealand.

• In 1973, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to sport. This is an award from the Queen.
• In 2002, he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM). This was for his work in local government and sport.

In 2022, Les Mills, along with his son Phillip and daughter-in-law Jackie Mills, were all inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. This means they were recognized for their great achievements in business.