Gymgoers who get fit together win together
By Kate Northrop
BELDON, Australia — 55 women from a ladies-only gym called Curves are celebrating together after they won the $80 million (US$57.4 million) Australian Lottery Powerball jackpot drawn on Thurs., Dec. 2.
A lottery pool consisting of members from a small gym in a Beldon suburb took home the $80 million Division One Powerball prize last week.
It was also the largest jackpot won in Western Australia and "the equal biggest prize won from any Australian lottery game so far this year," according to Lottery operator The Lott.
"After scoring the entire $80 million jackpot, the Western Australia player has officially secured their name in the Australian lottery books and shares the title of the nation's third-biggest individual lottery winner," The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said when the draw produced one winning ticket, which was purchased from Beaumaris News and Post on Constellation Drive in Ocean Reef.
It was later determined that the "individual lottery winner" was actually the group of 55 women who pooled their money.
In August of this year, a North Melbourne father also held the only winning ticket for an $80 million Powerball jackpot, becoming Victoria's biggest lottery winner and the country's third biggest winner.
The one to buy Thursday evening's winning ticket was the member who organized the group, known as "Sue." She said she had not participated in a lottery pool for years but was convinced to put one together by the $80 million jackpot that was up for grabs.
"Since COVID-19, the gym has been really struggling, and a lot of ladies at the gym are real Aussie battlers and come here as an outlet," Sue said. "We're a real community, and this is going to be life-changing for every single one of us. The future is looking so bright."
The winner, who is in her 50s, recalled being at a Christmas dinner the night of the drawing with some of the other group members when they heard the incredible news.
"One of our husbands called to tell us we had won, and the minute we found out it was pandemonium," she recounted. "I called over to the waiter and asked for their finest bottle of champagne."
Another pool member, nicknamed "Lucky Lorna," said in an interview with ABC Radio that, although she was not at the Christmas dinner, she thought her fellow gymgoers were pranking her when they informed her of the win.
"[When] I came home, I went to bed and thought, 'I'll just check my phone,' and I had all these missed calls from a lady at the gym," Lucky Lorna said. "I thought, 'why on earth would she be calling me?' So I texted her back and I said, 'why are you calling me? You better be ringing me to tell me we won the Powerball.'"
"Actually, we have," was the response.
Lucky Lorna could tell the news was real when she heard ladies screaming in the background over the phone along with the popping of champagne corks.
She revealed that the group would moan and groan about the idea of one person winning the entire jackpot, so they thought it would be a great idea to form a pool for a chance to divide up the prize money.
"I think it's marvelous that it's been spread around to so many people," she remarked. "I know each and every one of these women, and they are all the loveliest, kindest people who meet at our gym, which is more than a gym — it's like a little social club for middle-aged women."
Every one of the 55 lottery players, who each put down $5 for a share of the Slikpik 50 winning ticket, will walk away with a $1.45 million (US$1.04 million) share.
"I feel like the biggest Santa Claus in the world at the moment because I bought this ticket for these ladies, and it's changing all of their lives, and it really is amazing," Sue told ABC in an interview. "Christmas this year is going to be bigger, brighter and better than ever — it will be a very special time for us."
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
Thanks to dannyct for the tip.
Fantastic positive story..... Congrats ladies !!!!
Oh wow that is amazing! 55 people became millionaires.
Nice win among deserving ladies. Just in time for their summertime Christmas!!
A "ladies only" gym? How in blue blazes do they get away with that? You mean they don't have to let leftist men "males" in the women's shower rooms and rest rooms like we do here? They really are lucky ladies.
But now it's Botox Time down under! Tummy Tucks, Breast Enhancement and Butt Lifts for everybody! Easy on the tattoos though ladies. They look hip and cool when you're early 20's but not so much when you're mid 50's.
Curves is global;
International Clubs | Curves
Used to be in the DC area years ago.
Heck, if it is done "RIGHT" i.e., men getting more lipo to tummy tuck fat removal (certain areas)even more then women at times, or so my uncle a plastic surgeon said, and he been a great surgeon now for almost 28 years, since his early 30s to mid 30s...
Whether younger or
middle age forties to end of 50s- middle age, is not old, just older adults, seniors mid 65 and up, why not? who cares.
Long as he or she is happy. Personally? I see many who look better than me at forties/fifties middle age out there LOL
and i am still in my30s, so it doesn't matter,
if u r enjoying YOUR life, that's what living a great life, with less stress,more good happy times, health is good and kindness in LIFE and NOT hurting or disrespecting good people, so personally? I am
VERY happy they won $$$ It is truly great to see, so many be happy/happier in life,and doing great, and i am happy the bunch of women all ages here won!
Love it when more than just ONE man or woman win such a significant huge $$$ fortune, so CONGRATS."
Hi, Dana. Isn't it awesome
, i love it. ALL LADIES GYM too(lol)i really love it.
g-night.
Be Eazy on all that champagne corking... it's 55 of y'all whose gonna only get about a good half a million or a little more after taxes of US dollars.. it's a lot but don't be corking so many bottles... LOL
Wrong, lottery is tax free down under
I agree 100% but I wasn't "hurting or disrespecting good people so personally" as you opine. And I wasn't putting anybody down for plastic surgery. I was talking about tattoos primarily although there have been some horror stories about plastic surgery as well.
But I would venture to say that most women in their 50's, 60's or beyond that have gotten tattoos and have arms and other areas of their bodies that look like faded comic books wish they had someone like me to caution them about doing something so permanent to their bodies based on what they think is so cool in one fleeting moment of time in their lives.
For instance, if you thought bell bottom pants were cool in the 1970's, would you want to wear them for all the rest of your life? That's basically what you're doing when you get tattoos. What you think is cool or hip or clever today is not what you'll be thinking later in life.
A little butterfly on the ankle is one thing but dragons up and down your arms and MEGA-DEATH across your chest is another. I guarantee you won't think that is so cool in later years.
Other than that, we're in complete agreement about being happy for these ladies and wishing them well. Merry Christmas!
I would assume that guys also would experience the same faded comic book appearance and stuck-in-time permanence with their tattoos as they age. (I wouldn't know, no ink here.)
The Western Australia State Lottery has a fantastic App, which makes playing very easy. It is much easier than buying paper tickets. Players can store their favorite numbers on the App. To play, just click on the numbers you wish to play, press PLAY, press PREVIEW and then press PURCHASE.