A couple who won a £1 million lottery jackpot have quit their jobs and go on holiday every month. Former footballer Terry Kennedy, 29, was working on a building site when he bought the ticket in November last year.
Once a teammate of England star Harry Maguire at Sheffield United, he was forced into early retirement in 2016 because of a knee injury. But after scooping the life-changing win, he quit his job as a builder and has spent 12 months ticking off items from his bucket list with his partner Kay Yoxall, 26.
Kay said: "On average, we’ve managed to go somewhere different each month and we have lots more to pack in, so we can’t wait to create some more amazing memories together.
"Swimming with dolphins in Mexico was on our bucket list of things to do too and we've now ticked that amazing memory off. That was magical, as was every trip we've taken since winning changed our lives forever."
The pair started as they meant to go on, going to Tenerife before they had even collected their winnings. Since then they have travelled to a host of exciting destinations including Tokyo, New Zealand, Hawaii, Turkey and Italy.
As well as swimming with dolphins, Kay cited a a helicopter ride in New York as a highlight. But their favourite trip so far has been a Caribbean cruise, which Kay described as "just beautiful".
Terry, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire bought the winning Lotto Lucky Dip ticket in November last year - but left the ticket on the counter and had to go back and pick it up. When he later checked the ticket he realised he had matched five numbers plus the bonus ball - making him a millionaire.
"This win is something which has absolutely changed our lives forever, including the ability it’s given us to travel the world," he said. It is always something you hope will happen to you but it is just a dream.
"You think it’s something that only happens to other people – not ordinary people like us! And it may be a whole year on since we won but still, every single day, we have to pinch ourselves to remind us that this is real and it really did happen to us."
The couple are also using their winnings to renovate their four bedroom detached house in Rotherham into their dream home. The property sits on a third of an acre of land and has its own orchard, and they will be building a "man cave" in the garden along with a home for their pet tortoise Travis.
Kay said "We are loving just having the time ourselves to build a dream home – just as we want it to be. The winning isn’t just about the money – it is about buying you that all important time which when you are working you just do not have.
"We are really cherishing every moment of being able to do the work ourselves – with the support of professionals, where essential of course – to get our home to be just as we want it to be."
