"I ended up going back to sleep": Lottery winner didn't realize she won

Shock and disbelief seem to be the most common emotions for lottery winners. But after reading the winning numbers that looked “familiar,” one Ontario woman simply decided to go back to sleep.

Mississauga resident Shari Sahadeo said she’s a regular lottery player, always playing Lotto Max and picking her own numbers. The numbers Sahadeo chooses are meaningful to her since they’re made up of significant days in her life.

She had purchased a Lotto Max ticket to try her luck in the September 2 draw.

“When I got the email with the winning numbers, they looked familiar,” said Sahadeo. “But I ended up going back to sleep.”

A few days after the draw, she decided to check her ticket.

“I checked on the OLG App a few days later and saw ‘Big Winner’ appear – I was shocked!” she said.

The numbers turned out to be extremely lucky for Sahadeo, who discovered that she had won $129,754 and an additional $2 on her Encore selection, bringing her total winnings to $129,756.

Winner Shari Sahadeo/OLG

While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her big cheque, she said that she feels more numb than excited.

“I don’t think reality has actually set in yet,” she said.

Sahadeo will be using her winnings to pay some bills and complete some home renovations. But she does plan to enjoy her money: she’ll be using some of it to take a vacation.

Her winning ticket was purchased at Becker’s on Burnhamthorpe Road in Mississauga.