07 February 2023 , 10:53
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A teenager has won $48million (£30m) the first time she ever played the lottery.
Juliette Lamour had just turned 18 and on the advice of her grandad bought her first ever ticket.
The win made the young woman, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the youngest big lottery winner in Canadian history.
"I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun," explained Juliette during a winner’s celebration at the lottery HQ in Sault Ste. Marie.
She continued: "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.
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"I still can’t believe I hit the GOLD BALL jackpot on my very first lottery ticket!"
Juliette won big on her first ever play (NurPhoto via Getty Images)After buying the ticket Juliette put it out her mind, until news started spreading that the winning ticket had been sold in her city.
When she remembered she had a ticket, a coworker offered to check the ticket on his lottery app and when he scanned it, the words ‘Big Winner’ flashed up on screen.
She said: "My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief. He was yelling, in fact everyone was yelling that I won $48 million! I didn’t understand what was going on at first. I couldn’t process this news. We kind of made a scene in the store that day!".
When she called her mum to try explain what had happened, she was so ecstatic that she didn't make any sense.
Juliette continued: "Because I was crying – happy tears – of course, my mom couldn’t understand what was going on. Thankfully my dad was able to piece together that I won the lottery jackpot!
"I knew I couldn’t focus on work and my boss told me I could go home, but my mom wanted me to stay and finish my shift! My colleagues called out ‘come and get her,’ and my parents eventually came to pick me up."
Winning such a huge sum can overwhelm people but luckily Juliette's dad is a financial planner.
In a statement the 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."
Despite the life-changing amount of money, the teenager's plans haven't changed.
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She still wants to study to become a doctor but now won't have to worry about getting into debt to achieve that.
Juliette said:"I wanted to go to medical school before winning the lottery. Now I can pursue this dream without worrying about grants or loans.
"As a member the Garden River First Nation community, I was eligible for educational assistance programs, but I no longer need those resources which means someone else in the community can benefit from that funding.
"I really want to come back to this area as a doctor so I can give back to my community," she said.
She's pledged to finish school and then go with her parents travelling.
She continued: "While I am so excited about the opportunities that lie ahead, I feel comforted knowing I am surrounded by the grounding love of my family. They will be with me on every step of this incredible journey," Juliette said.