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Our History

The Les Mills story is one of creativity, inspiration, energy and passion. It is a story of an extraordinary New Zealand family – the Mills family - and of a remarkable “global family” for whose members our programs form a large part of their lives.

Here are some of the highlights of this remarkable story…

	1960s-70's New Zealand athlete Les Mills competes in four Olympic Games. Les also competes in the Commonwealth Games, along with wife Colleen and children Phillip and Donna.
	1968 Les and Colleen open the first Les Mills gym in Auckland.
	1980's Phillip Mills returns from studying in the USA to join the Les Mills gym business and start developing group fitness programs.
	1990 BODYPUMP™ created (under its original name, Pump).
	1995 BODYPUMP™ trialled in Australia, pioneered by industry leader Bill Robertson.
	1996 BODYPUMP™ demonstrated at Australian FILEX convention.
	1995-7 First international distribution agents appointed.
	1997 Les Mills International founded in May.
	1997 BODYPUMP™ renamed and showcased globally by first International Master Trainers including Emma Barry, Steven Renata, Pete Manuel, Cathy Spencer and Mike McSweeney.
	1997-8 BODYATTACK™, BODYFLOW™, BODYSTEP™, RPM™ launched internationally.
	1999 BODYCOMBAT™ launched internationally.
	2000 First Les Mills Global Summit held in Opio, France 2000.
	2001 Les Mills celebrates 5,000 licensed clubs.
	2001 BODYJAM™ launched.
	2001 Second Global Summit in Itaparica, Brazil 2001.
	2002 Third Global Summit (first to include instructors) Espinho, Portugal.
	2003 Les Mills celebrates 8,000 clubs worldwide.
	2003 Les Mills credited by IHRSA’s Club Business International magazine with “doing for group exercise what McDonald’s did for hamburgers.”
	2004 Fourth Global Summit held in Opio, France.
	2004 Les Mills celebrates 9,000 clubs licensed worldwide.
	2004 Phillip Mills named 2004 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
	2005 Les Mills International named New Zealand 2005 Services Exporter of the Year.
	2006 Les Mills celebrates 10,000 clubs licensed worldwide.
	2006 Launch of BODYVIVE™.
	2007 Les Mills surpasses the milestone of 11,000 licensed clubs, with BODYPUMP™ licensed in more than 10,000 of these.
	2007 Les Mills International named New Zealand 2007 Services Exporter of the Year.
	2008 The fifth Global Summit held in Auckland, New Zealand. Nearly 700 agents, trainers, sales and operations staff and Les Mills International staff were re-united and re-inspired in the city where it all began.
	2008 Les Mills welcomes India to the tribe.
	2009 Les Mills celebrates 13,000 clubs licensed worldwide.
	2009 Les Mills launches a joint promotion with global food giant Nestlé showcasing home workout versions of our most popular programs, on over 8 million cereal boxes and snack bars in 48 countries. The program was renewed in 2010 and 2011.
	2009 Les Mills wins the TVNZ New Zealand ‘Supreme Marketing’ Award.
	2010 Les Mills launches its own brand of fitness clothing - lesmillsclothing.com
	2010 Les Mills partners with 24 Hour Fitness, the largest privately owned fitness company in the world with over 400 clubs in the USA.
	2011 Launch of SH’BAM™ - the ultimate fun and social way to exercise, with seriously hot dance moves.
	2011 Launch of CXWORX™ - a 30-minute revolutionary core and strength training program based on scientific research.
	2011 Phillip Mills wins the Australian Fitness Network ‘Lifetime Achievement’ Award.
	2011 Les Mills wins the TVNZ New Zealand ‘Trade & Enterprise Export Marketing’ Award.
	2011 Les Mills announces the merge of Les Mills Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast into one agency - Les Mills East Coast.