Jess Hardiman
A woman in Australia has landed a whopping $28 million after winning the lottery, saying the life-changing amount means ‘everything’ to her.
The mother in Euchuca, Victoria, claimed the biggest division one lotto prize this year in Thursday’s (2 February) Powerball draw.
The winning numbers in the draw were 7, 35, 31, 2, 24, 21 and 15, with the all-important Powerball number being 18.
After purchasing the PowerHit entry online, the lucky player scooped herself AUD $40 million ($28m/£23m), but was so shocked to find she’d won that she initially thought it was a scam.
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The woman, who has not been named, said: “Oh my god! Oh my god! I can't believe it. I thought it was a scam!"
“This just doesn't feel real. How do I know if this is real?! I'm so nervous, I feel really bizarre. My whole body has gone numb!
“My husband and I couldn't sleep at all last night. We were pacing back and forth.
“I'm at work right now, and that's why it took a little longer for me to answer my phone.
“This is really going to take some time to sink in. It won't feel real until the money is in my bank account.
“My husband and I have these goals in place and were wondering how we were going to achieve them, but now we don't have to worry anymore!
“I can't believe this is happening!”
After Thursday’s numbers were revealed, the team at The Lott said they were struggling to get hold of the winner.
The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell explained that they tried to call the woman, but she didn’t answer her phone.
“Myself and the team at The Lott were ready to speak with Powerball’s newest division one winner straight after the result of tonight’s draw, but sadly when we called our winner’s number, it went to voicemail,” she said.
“If you see a flurry of missed calls on your phone, you could be the winner we’re trying to contact about the life-changing news.”
Thankfully, the eventually tracked down their winner in Euchuca, who now plans to quit her job - saying she’s looking forward to spending time with her family.
“My god, I can quit my job!” she continued. "I can take some time off to spend with my family.
“We will be able to pay off the mortgage completely and set ourselves up for the future. We want this win to go a long way. We want to leave a legacy for our family for years to come!
“This means everything to me. Thank you so much.”