Palmerston North Hospital losing its last gastroenterologist sounds like a local health story until you think about what it really means. A system does not have to fail everywhere to fail people badly; sometimes it only takes one empty specialist role for an entire region to feel the gap.

Les Mills Snr was an Olympian, a mayor and the name behind one of New Zealand’s most recognisable global fitness stories. But the more interesting legacy is cultural: he helped turn strength, discipline and showing up into something ordinary people could build a life around.