A woman who was fortunate enough to become a millionaire back in the 90’s after winning a £2.7 million lottery prize revealed she still stacks shelves to set a good example for her kids.
Elaine is a hard worker.
Elaine Thompson, from Killingworth, north Tyneside, still works in M&S after the win, as she wanted to be a good example for her kids, and show them the value of hard work. They were only 10 and 5 when she won the jackpot in the 90s.
She really does put in the work too – she starts at 2am and finishes at 9am.
Her and her husband Derek have since helped their kids Gary and Karen buy their own houses, and she even worked through lockdown despite being at risk due to her asthma.
She said: “I did the 2am starts everyday, so I’m in from 2am to 9am. The company was fantastic. They let me go at 8.30am because I’m asthmatic and I’m vulnerable so I was not with any of the customers.
“I was leaving the house at 1.15am every morning, I get up at midnight.
“A couple of times during lockdown it was really really hard. I was driving to work thinking ‘What am I doing?’
“But I kept working all the way through.
“I could not have done furlough. I’m coming up to 65 next week but I’m not ready to retire yet.”
She revealed that it was important to her kids and her family that she kept working after the win, saying: “I had two young children at the time when I made the decision.
“It’s important that children see you working hard, and that we don’t get anything out of life unless you work hard for it.”
Elaine loves working at M&S, and it seems she’s not the only winner who loves her job. According to the National Lottery, over half of people who get a big win are still in work or have started their own business!
