Live: Over 1000 people gather to farewell Les Mills Snr

Gym chain founder and former Olympian Les Mills Snr is being farewelled at a service at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland.

His son, Phillip Mills, said family "said our goodbyes, not expecting him to go immediately. But he passed away peacefully at 3.30 in the morning".

The family have made a livestream of the service available as they remember Les' life, starting at 11am.

There will be a series of tributes from loved ones during the 90 minute service including speeches by Les' children, Phillip and Donna, sports personality Bruce Cameron, and politician and businessman, David Hay.

The service began at 11am with officiant Very Reverend Anne Mills welcoming those there in person at Holy Trinity Cathedral, and watching online. That was followed by a karakia from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei and renditions of 'Pōkarekare Ana' and 'What A Wonderful World', the latter sung to piano by Joel Amosa.

Les' son Phillip Mills thanked those gathered, saying they were "all part of what was a remarkable life".

"Dad was, he was an adventurer, and aside from a 55-year life in sport and in coaching sport. He had a huge number of other wild and crazy roles."

Phillip talked about how their family moved around the world, following his dad's business interests and sporting endeavours, before coming back to New Zealand and getting into construction and retail, including what he believed might have been the first supermarket in New Zealand.

Before starting the famous Les Mills chain, Phillip said his dad started out in the fitness industry by purchasing a small gym on Victoria Street off a conman.

"Dad was a workaholic. When I started in business under his tutelage, Dad would say he was working to give his grandchildren a better life, which I think was true, but it was probably only half the story. In the last few months, he's told me that he loved everything that he did and he loved the wonderful life and friends that he's had.

"To those of you here today and online, friends, family, teammates in sport and work, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of that."

Les' grandson Gabriel McArtney said his grandad lived an "extraordinary life".

"Some of the highlights for me were leading a crusade deep into the highlands of Papua New Guinea to spread the good news about Aussie Rules to the tribesmen. Stumbling home in Munich after a night of heavy drinking, only to sleep through an international terrorist attack taking place in his building. Being summoned to a mysterious private meeting with a Hollywood movie star in Los Angeles."

McArtney said they were pleased to give him his final wish - dying at peace in his own home, surrounded by family.

Jamie MacKinnon, Mills' nephew, said his first memory of his uncle was "how big he was".

"He wasn't just tall, but he had massive bulk and muscle. Plus all the people around him were big, particularly one of Les' best mates, Don Oliver, who as many of you will know was a New Zealand weightlifting champion. And if you threw [discus thrower] Robin Tait into the room, there wasn't a whole lot of space left."

MacKinnon said he was "in awe" of how much milk Les went through.

"I used to think, how could anyone be that thirsty? But of course, it was part of building and maintaining muscle mass required for the shot and discus events...

"As we got older, I started to realise that Les was a great athlete, a successful businessman, a leader, and he was famous. Les was more than an uncle to me. He was a role model. Having someone like Les in your family sets the standards, raises the bar to achieve, and normal gets ratcheted up a few notches."

Les' granddaughter Moana McArtney then performed Dave McArtney's 'This Bird Has Flown', accompanied by guitar.

David Hay, who served as deputy Auckland mayor under Les, said it was a "very fulfilling eight years".

"Some may ask, 'Well, what is a good man?' Well, Les was hardworking and committed… He said it as it was. He was honest and had integrity. He was there to do the best for Auckland with no ulterior motive.

"There was no politics in Les. Les was a team player. He gathered around him people, they wanted to help do the best they could for Auckland."

Hay said Les' sporting background meant he had "great stamina".

"We had the odd councillor that was difficult, wanted to drag things out of council, race points of order and amendments and all that stuff. But he was always able to outpace them.

"He was never in a hurry to go home, and they usually ran out of puff long before Les did."

Hay credited Les with saving the city's Civic Theatre and paving the way for the Britomart train station, "which gave of course the current generation the right to extend or the ability to extend the underground network beyond Britomart".

Weightlifer Bruce Cameron then spoke, saying he had known Les for 70 years.

"Les brought strength, health, and wellness to New Zealand, which is now the trendy thing to do today. We had invented it many, many years ago. There's nothing new in this world. If you look back, you'll find it's happened before somewhere at some time. That was the wellness that we all enjoyed being with Les."

Cameron said at the 2017 World Masters Games he met some Germans who knew Les Mills the brand, but had no idea the man existed - and was there.

"I invited Les around and he signed all the T-shirts. These guys, they couldn't believe it. He really did exist. It was a worldwide institution."

Cameron recounted a number of stories of his adventures with Les, frequently generating laughter from those in the church.

"As we get older and as we get a little bit more tearful, you might say, things slower and we all aren't the same people as we once were. So all I'd like to say, thank you everyone, farewell, rest in peace. Memories are forever."

Sports legend Beatrice Faumuina and local MP Chlöe Swarbrick, amongst others, were in attendance.

Mills Snr, with his wife Colleen, founded Les Mills gyms in 1986. There are currently 12 Les Mills gyms around New Zealand. On the back of the gyms, Les Mills International group training was started by their son, Phillip, and his partner, Jackie. The peppy fitness classes set to music, like BodyAttack, BodyPump and BodyBalance, have been picked up in over 100 countries.

Mills Snr represented New Zealand at four Olympic Games competing in shot put and discus. He won Commonwealth Games gold, three silver medals and one bronze.

Mills Snr served three terms as Mayor of Auckland City in the 1990s.

In 2002, he was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government and sport. In 2022, Mills Snr, Phillip and Jackie Mills, were inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame.

Colleen died in 2005. Les Mills Snr is survived by his children, Phillip and Donna, daughter-in-law Jackie, grandchildren Diana, Les Jr, Gabriel and Moana, plus many great-grandchildren.