A motor mechanic from Cardiff is looking forward to taking a back seat after he discovered he’d scooped the EuroMillions Millionaire Maker £1,000,000 prize on Tuesday 21 May.
The lucky man, Dave Williams (58), and wife Sarah (55), who have contended with more than their fair share of ill health now plan to hand over the motor repair business to their daughter, take things easier and explore more of the UK, and eventually the world, thanks to the incredible National Lottery windfall of £1,000,000.
Dave said: “We’ve both had it tough in recent years so we’re not wasting any time, we know that every minute is a gift.
“Some years ago I was diagnosed with throat cancer which meant some pretty extensive and aggressive treatment, culminating in losing half my jaw and having to undergo reconstructive surgery. And then just when I was on the mend, Sarah was treated for a catalogue of problems including spondylitis, an inflammation of the spine which is affecting her freedom of movement and putting her in almost constant pain.
“While it’s been really tough, we’re still here; this win feels like the light at the end of a very long tunnel and for once, it’s not the train coming towards us!”
The couple’s millionaire adventure started when Dave, who has run his motor repair business for 13 years, was in the garage office idly chatting to his daughter. Scrolling through his National Lottery app he discovered what he thought was a £100,000 win on EuroMillions. He instantly called The National Lottery saying ‘I think I’ve won £100,000’ but was disappointed when the call handler briefly put him on hold. He said,
“I thought I must have made a mistake and it was actually a tenner, so when the gentleman came back on the line to say ‘Mr Williams, you said you’ve won £100,000’ and paused, my heart really sank, only to leap once more when he continued ‘I’m pleased to tell you, you’ve actually won £1M’.
“I’d always hoped and dreamed I’d win a life changing amount on The National Lottery, but in all my daydreams, while there have been many ways I thought I’d celebrate this sort of news, swearing loudly for a good five minutes wasn’t one of them!
“Looking back it makes me laugh, technically I was Cardiff’s newest millionaire the day before, I just hadn’t read the email from The National Lottery!
“I remember seeing one with news about my ticket but assumed it was for £2.70 or the like so when I logged in to buy a ticket for the next draw, I was expecting to see my balance marginally better off, not stuck at £23. It’s only when I clicked on the message that I saw I’d won the £100,000 on EuroMillions which amazingly turned into £1M – with that turn of events I think I can definitely be forgiven the swearing!”
Once the win was confirmed, Dave called his wife, Sarah, to share the news only to be told not to be so stupid for making up such rubbish! Sarah said,
“I honestly thought Dave was winding me up but when he showed me the ticket, and now when I see all those noughts in the bank account, I know it’s for real. I didn’t think anything could be more exciting than my son and his girlfriend giving us our first grandchild last year, but I think this is coming in a close second!”
The couple, who married in 2011, may be keen to move into the slow lane but Dave, a former rally driver, won’t be taking his foot off the gas too soon with exciting plans for their future. He said,
“We’ve worked hard all our lives and enjoyed the fruits of that hard work, but this win will certainly make the next phase of our life that bit easier. We’ll invest a big chunk for the future and then, once we have found the dream home, we fully intend to explore more of Wales and the rest of the UK in our campervan. Sarah also plans to overcome her fear of flying so that we can visit the list of overseas destinations which seems to be growing by the minute.”
Sarah continued; “I’ve always been scared to fly and it’s never been a serious problem, now that the world really is our oyster, it feels like it’s time to do something about it. I didn’t think I would ever overcome my fear of flying, but then I didn’t ever think that Dave would win £1M on EuroMillions!”
Before jetting off the couple hope to find their dream home, and Dave and Sarah have three other important family members to consider when it comes to the move, Trevor, Mavis and Winnie, Dave said,
“Since discovering the win, I have been scouring Rightmove for our new home, looking for the perfect place with plenty of space so our Bull Terrier, Trevor, and our other two dogs, Mavis and Winnie, have room to play to their heart’s content and enjoy endless zoomie moments.”
Sarah adds, “The dogs are a very important part of our family. When Dave was going through his treatment the only thing that kept me sane was my walks with them. I’d tell the dogs all my woes and worries, and more recently as my health has deteriorated, Trevor, Mavis and Winnie have been there again, keeping me smiling when I certainly didn’t feel like smiling. So, making sure they also benefited from the win, was always a given!”
Dave bought his EuroMillions ticket for the draw on 21 May 2024 online, using the National Lottery app.
He won the EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker £1,000,000 prize when he matched the winning code VZDS62828. EuroMillions UK Millionaire Maker guarantees to create a millionaire in every draw. For every EuroMillions line played, UK players automatically receive a EuroMillions Millionaire Maker code printed on their ticket.
