A builder from Norwich has traded his forklift for a “dream car” after scooping a staggering £1 million on a National Lottery scratchcard.
Adam Lopez, 39, saw his bank balance soar from a modest £12.40 to an astonishing £1,000,012.40 after claiming his winnings.
Mr Lopez is now taking a break from work to plan his future, calling the moment he claimed his prize “the best call I’ve ever made”.
Recalling the win, Mr Lopez said: “I stopped to pick up a drink and bought a scratchcard at the same time.” He then travelled home to share the news with his mother, Danica, and stepfather, Andrew.
“Once in the car I played the scratchcard and when I saw the £1 million, I didn’t know what to do with myself, so shoved the scratchcard in the glovebox without even thinking.
“I always thought I’d scream if I ever won big but when it actually happened, I was stunned into complete silence!”
He added: “It was the most surreal moment when the lady from the National Lottery confirmed that I was a millionaire! My mum went off like a balloon she was so excited for me!
“Seeing my balance go from £12.40 to £1,000,012.40 was a real ‘pinch me’ moment!”
Mr Lopez has swapped the forklift he usually drives at work for a Range Rover Sport and treated his mum to a Range Rover Evoque.
The builder said: “Sadly we lost my dad eight years ago, he always said that he’d take care of us, and I think in some way this win has come from him.
“So, when I treated myself to my dream car, I knew I had to make mum’s dream come true too. Seeing how happy it made her when she got behind the wheel of her new car was even better than when I found out I had won!”
Mr Lopez has also booked a family holiday to Barbados for next year with his winnings.
He added: “Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen to me, I feel so blessed. I’ve given myself a budget to have fun, a pot to treat people I love and the rest I’m saving for the future.
“I plan to use this time to enjoy myself and get fit, as I want to travel more next year. The trip to Barbados is going to be amazing and I’m also hoping to visit friends in New York.
“Who knows, I may even book a first-class ticket as I’ve always wanted to turn left on an aeroplane – thanks to this win I can make that dream a reality too!”
Mr Lopez bought his winning Scratchcard from a Premier store on Reepham Road, Norwich.
It costs £5 to play and there is a one in 3.33 overall chance of winning a prize, with prizes ranging from £5 to the top prize of £1 million.
The National Lottery generates on average more than £30 million each week for National Lottery-funded projects.
It has awarded more than £95 billion in prizes and created more than 7,400 millionaires or multimillionaires since its launch in 1994.
