Playing the lotto often feels like a game of wishful thinking, but for Olli Kauppinen of Tottenham, Ontario, the unimaginable happened. After five decades of playing the lottery, Kauppinen’s persistence paid off, resulting in a six-figure windfall that changed his life.
Recently, Kauppinen, a 73-year-old retired ready-mix concrete driver, opened up to CTVNews.ca about the transformative impact of his $100,000 Lotto 6/49 win. For the past five years, he had been playing the lotto regularly, using the same numbers twice a week.
“It was an overwhelming feeling,” Kauppinen recalled during a phone interview. “I thought I was about to cry because the emotions were just overwhelming. All of a sudden you got yourself $100,000 you were never expecting to win … It’s so hard to put into words, the feeling is incredible.”
The windfall came last August when the computer-generated bonus numbers on his ticket hit. That $16 weekly gamble became a life-changing prize, and Kauppinen quickly realized that his life would no longer be the same.
“The experience was just fantastic,” he said. “I still reel when I think about it.”
With his winnings, Kauppinen and his wife were able to pay off the mortgage on their two-storey home, a financial burden they had carried for 18 years. They had been making biweekly payments of $938, but that weight was now lifted.
“Now we’re mortgage-free, so it’s a big weight lifted off the shoulders,” he said. “I was happy before, but I’m even happier now.” The sense of relief was profound for Kauppinen, who now only has to worry about his health.
“We don’t have to worry about a thing except our health, which is most important,” he noted. “If you can get rid of bills, it makes life a lot easier all around.”
For those who find themselves in a similar situation, Kauppinen advises against acting on a whim. “What I would suggest is not to spend the money foolishly — think before you react,” he said. “Think where you’re going to put it, and put it to good use.”
He emphasized the importance of careful financial planning. “Even though it seems it was easy come, it will go a lot easier if you don’t watch what you’re doing,” he said. “Just keep an eye on your pennies and it will all come together.”
As a car enthusiast, Kauppinen admits he was tempted to splurge on a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle. However, he chose more modest pleasures, using his winnings to add a swimming pool, an outdoor sauna, and a used 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. The couple is also planning a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in November.
“If you have a mortgage, pay down your mortgage,” he advised. “If you can get the big burdens off your shoulders, it’s a cakewalk.”
Kauppinen’s work and government pensions remain his main sources of income, but he acknowledges that unexpected wealth can simplify life, even though it’s not everything.
“Material things are one thing, but they’re not the main reason for us being on this planet,” he said. “As long as we survive with what we really need in life, we’re doing great.”
Reflecting on his good fortune, Kauppinen expressed gratitude for his wife, whom he credits as his “lucky charm.” She rarely checked his tickets, but on one occasion, she found a free play attached to one, leading to their big win. If it hadn’t been for her decision to play Encore, Kauppinen might never have won.
“If I got the tickets myself, I wouldn’t have bought Encore,” he admitted. “She’s my lucky charm … it was a God-send.”
Kauppinen now buys Encore regularly, and despite the odds, which the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation say are about one in 14 million for Lotto 6/49, he continues to dream. He believes that playing the same numbers regularly increases his chances, though there’s no scientific proof to back this theory.
“It’s a dream,” Kauppinen said. “If we don’t have our dreams, you have nothing. I’ve always been a dreamer. If it comes through, it comes through, and if it doesn’t, at least I dreamt about it.”
