The teen’s granddad encouraged her to buy a ticket to mark her 18th birthday
A teenager has scooped a $48 (£29.7m) million lottery jackpot in Canada, winning with the first ticket she ever brought.
Juliette Lamour, 18, has become the youngest ever Canadian to win such a big prize, but plans to stick with her university studies and become a doctor.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation said: “While there have been other 18-year-old lottery winners across Canada in recent years, no one has won as much as Juliette.”
When she celebrated the win at Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation on Friday, she said she was crying “happy tears” when she found out she hit the jackpot last month.
“I still can’t believe I hit the Gold Ball jackpot on my very first lottery ticket!”
Lamour said her grandfather had suggested she buy her first ticket as a way of marking her 18th birthday.
“I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun,” Juliette told Global News.
“When I went to the store, I wasn’t sure what to ask for because I had never bought a ticket before, so I called my dad who told me to buy a LOTTO 6-49 Quick Pick.
“I still can’t believe I hit the Gold Ball jackpot on my very first lottery ticket!”
Juliette Lamour, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, said she had forgotten all about the lottery ticket until she heard news that someone from her hometown had won the 7 January draw.
She said that when the ticket was scanned on the app the “Winner/Gagnant” jingle started to play and “Big Winner” was displayed on the phone.
“My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief. He was yelling, in fact, everyone was yelling that I won $48 million!”
She now plans to “carefully” invest the money, following her dad’s advice.
The money, she said, will help her study to become a doctor without taking out a hefty loan, and she plans to return to northern Ontario to practise medicine and give back to her community.
“Once school is done, my family and I will pick a continent and start exploring,” Lamour was quoted as saying by BBC.
“I want to experience different countries, study their history and culture, try their food, and listen to their language.”
The teen added that despite the win, she will focus on her work rather than the jackpot. “Money doesn’t define you,” she said. “It’s the work you do that will define you.”
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