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ISSUE
Friday, April 17, 2026
Volume 17 . Issue 15
A New Plymouth woman has won $14.3 million in the Powerball draw, dropping her phone in shock and describing the moment as ‘whole body went numb’ as she realised she had hit the life-changing jackpot.
The anonymous winner said she felt her numb as the significance of the result sank in, before she had even fully registered the total prize amount.
She had been playing the same Lotto numbers for years, but only settled on her “go-to” Powerball number five about six months ago.
The win came just days after a conversation with her mother about what she would do if she ever struck such a large sum.
"I said to her – 'wouldn’t it be amazing to win and be able to help people with that money – I’d definitely set you up'," she said.
On Thursday, after seeing online that the top prize had been claimed, she decided to check her own ticket.
She described watching the draw unfold online and reacting as the numbers matched one by one.
"I knew if I got the next number I’d be winning a big prize – and it came out – I had all six numbers," she said. "Then by the time I’d processed that, I saw the Powerball circle, and I dropped my phone in shock".
Realising she had won $14.3 million, she immediately called her mother, with both breaking down in tears during the call.
She then contacted her husband at work to share the news.
"I blurted out 'we’ve won $14 million.' He said the rest of the day was a bit of a struggle," she said.
The Taranaki couple marked the win quietly over the weekend with takeaway and champagne, while also beginning to think about their next steps.
Although they plan to celebrate properly with family later, the couple say their immediate focus is on how to use the money to help others.
"We just need time to figure out the best way to do that," she said.
A New Plymouth woman has won $14.3 million in the Powerball draw, dropping her phone in shock and describing the moment as ‘whole body went numb’ as she realised she had hit the life-changing jackpot.
The anonymous winner said she felt her numb as the significance of the result sank in, before she...
A New Plymouth woman has won $14.3 million in the Powerball draw, dropping her phone in shock and describing the moment as ‘whole body went numb’ as she realised she had hit the life-changing jackpot.
The anonymous winner said she felt her numb as the significance of the result sank in, before she had even fully registered the total prize amount.
She had been playing the same Lotto numbers for years, but only settled on her “go-to” Powerball number five about six months ago.
The win came just days after a conversation with her mother about what she would do if she ever struck such a large sum.
"I said to her – 'wouldn’t it be amazing to win and be able to help people with that money – I’d definitely set you up'," she said.
On Thursday, after seeing online that the top prize had been claimed, she decided to check her own ticket.
She described watching the draw unfold online and reacting as the numbers matched one by one.
"I knew if I got the next number I’d be winning a big prize – and it came out – I had all six numbers," she said. "Then by the time I’d processed that, I saw the Powerball circle, and I dropped my phone in shock".
Realising she had won $14.3 million, she immediately called her mother, with both breaking down in tears during the call.
She then contacted her husband at work to share the news.
"I blurted out 'we’ve won $14 million.' He said the rest of the day was a bit of a struggle," she said.
The Taranaki couple marked the win quietly over the weekend with takeaway and champagne, while also beginning to think about their next steps.
Although they plan to celebrate properly with family later, the couple say their immediate focus is on how to use the money to help others.
"We just need time to figure out the best way to do that," she said.
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