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Powerball $80m winners: Members of women’s gym Curves in Heathridge take home huge jackpot

Kate Phillips and Peta RasdienThe West Australian
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VideoWA player wins $80 Powerball prize

A group of 55 women from a northern suburbs gym have won $1.5 million each after their syndicate scooped the entire $80 million Powerball jackpot on Thursday night.

The winners, who are all members at Curves Heathridge at the Belridge Shopping Centre, chipped in $5 each for the ticket which has taken out the biggest prize pool in years.

A number of the winners were out at a Christmas dinner at an Italian restaurant in Heathridge when they found out.

One of them, Sue - the owner of the gym - shared her excitement on radio Friday morning, describing the incredible moment they realised they had won.

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“A group of us ladies from my gym were out at our Christmas dinner and one of the husbands rang and said ‘hey, I think you ladies just won the lotto’ and we said, nah,” Sue told Triple M.

“So I got the ticket out and we checked the numbers and you should have seen the restaurant it went into absolute chaos… it turned to mayhem.”

Some of the gym members who will walk away with at least $1 million.
Camera IconSome of the gym members who will walk away with at least $1 million. Credit: Amber Johnston

Sue said she had spent the morning making calls to the very lucky winners.

“I have just had the greatest morning ringing people to tell them they have won $1.5 million. There’s still about 10 people I haven’t been able to get hold of yet,” she said.

Sadly, there were some gym members who didn’t chip in. But for those who did, Sue said the win would be “life changing”.

“To win this and to share it with 55 of the most amazing women that I work with every day is the greatest thing ever and I feel so blessed that I’ve been able to share it with them and it is life changing for all of us and we are just beside ourselves, we really are.”

Sue said the win couldn’t have come at a better time, after her husband was made redundant and was due to finish work in just a few weeks.

“So, we were starting to get a little bit worried about what the future was holding for us so this has taken all that away now. We don’t have to worry anymore, life’s good.”

Sue said also said she would continue working at the gym.

“These ladies are my life so I’m still going to be here with them.”

Another winner, Lorna, said she was feeling a little shaky and having “palpitations.”

She said didn’t go to the Christmas party with the other women from the gym because she had another function.

“I came home late, hopped into bed and checked my phone and I had these missed calls and I thought ‘why would the gym be calling me?’” Lorna told 6PR.

“So, I rang them back and I said ‘I hope you’re ringing to tell me we’ve won Powerball’ and she said ‘yeah, we have’.

“I said ‘don’t toy with my emotions, I am not in the mood for it’ and she said ‘Nah, we’ve got it and we are the sole ticket’.

“She said ‘get out of bed, get dressed and come down’ and I could hear people screaming and champagne popping in the background.”

“When I got to the restaurant, there were all these crazy women taking over the restaurant and the carpark and we have been drinking and talking and texting all night.”

Curves gym in Beldon
Camera IconAll the members of the winning syndicate go to women’s only gym Curves. Credit: Iain Gillespie/The West Australian

Lorna said she was “thrilled” for all of the women who won, especially in “these miserable post-COVID times”.

“We go to the gym just to try to keep strong and we just laugh and have a great time and I am just thrilled for the other women,” she said.

“It means a few financial woes have just gone for me and a few people I love.”

“In these miserable post-COVID times, even when we had the lockdown I know the lady that runs the gym struggled a bit, and I’ve got a small business.”

Lorna said she’s planning to ring her financial adviser a bit later. But first she’ll head to Lotterywest with her fellow winners this morning, with the group planning to wear their gym gear for a laugh.

Remarkably, Lorna is still planning to head into work afterwards.

Lorna is a nurse who runs small business Chemotherapy at Home.

And, she already had a big win last year – taking home a Hyundai Kona after winning 6PR’s Rumour File last year.

“I had the most terrible, miserable year in the previous year: I broke my ankle, my beautiful father died, everything the business was struggling and then I was lucky enough to win the rumour file in the last season and collected my beautiful car that I drive around today and I thought’ hmm my luck is changing’.”

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