Peter Rogers, a boxing fan from Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, won one million pounds on the National Lottery — after deciding to buy a ticket on a whim during his weekly shop
A dad who thought his lottery win was a computer glitch now plans to fulfil a lifelong dream with the money.
Peter Rogers, 73, bought a ticket on a whim during his weekly food shop and, when he asked a shop assistant to check it, he thought there was a problem with it as he was asked to contact Lotto headquarters.
But an employee at a second shop scanned the ticket and told Peter, a huge boxing fan, he had won one million pounds. The grandfather now hopes to travel to New York City to watch a major fight at the famous Madison Square Garden arena.
Peter, from Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales, said: “When I later realised I’d won, I genuinely did not believe it. The shop assistant scanned the ticket and the screen said I had to contact The National Lottery.
“I assumed there was some kind of glitch and I even went to another shop to double check because I thought it couldn’t be real. Even when I realised that there was no glitch, I didn’t for a second think it would be a £1M win. It is still sinking in now that I have won such a life-changing amount of money — it’s like hearing the final bell after the fight of your life.”
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Peter said the “life-changing” win will also allow him and his wife, Rosa, to buy a new home, making life more comfortable as she struggles with poor health. The couple plan to find a larger bungalow in the Merthyr Tydfil area, where Peter is known locally for his passion for boxing.
Father-of-three Peter continued: “Being able to provide a new home more suited to our needs means more to me than anything else I could do with the money – and I can’t wait to start the house hunting.”
The pensioner matched five main numbers and the bonus ball in the Lotto draw on September 6 after picking a random selection of numbers, Wales Online reports. Peter, who has even published a book on Merthyr Tydfil’s boxing scene, spoke to the press yesterday at a ceremony to celebrate his win.
Speaking at the event, Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at Allwyn, operator of the National Lottery, said: “Huge congratulations to Peter and his wife Rosa on their incredible £1M Lotto win.
“We wish them all the best as they start their exciting new chapter together. It’s always so wonderful to see how such a life-changing win can make such a meaningful difference to people — and in this case offer a new home and a chance to fulfil a life-long dream.”