Set For Life winner James swaps his shovel for skis

James, who was 21 when he won his amazing prize in December 2020, wasted little time making the most of his good fortune. He said, “I love skiing and passed my level one exam to become a ski instructor last year. I’m now teaching at my local SnowDome.

"My dream would be to take the full training course and teach abroad. It isn’t about the salary, it’s all about the experience for me and it really would be living the dream.”

James fell in love with skiing as a child when his family hit the slopes in Europe. Since then, he’s tried to squeeze in a couple of ski holidays every year.

He added, “I teach all ages, from as young as four right up to 70. What I love most about being a ski instructor is being able to help someone achieve something – seeing their face when they have done it is so rewarding.”

Helping others is something James is passionate about and his Set For Life win has given him fresh opportunities to lend a hand. He said, “My family is massively important to me, so I’ve paid for my mum and dad to come skiing in Austria with me, helped my sister buy a new car and helped my brother start his own business. I also still help my dad out with the family landscaping business when he needs me.”

Outside of his family, James has got stuck in helping charities close to his heart. He said, “I became involved in the charity Canine Partners last year helping renovate a bungalow and making it accessible for wheelchair users with dogs. Later, knowing my background as a landscaper, they told me they wanted to turn an overgrown area into a memorial garden for dogs – somewhere owners could go to and remember their pets.”

James was so inspired he asked if he could design and build the memorial garden himself. He said, “I returned with a digger two weeks later and it took a day to clear the ground. I drew up plans, put the structure in and made concrete paths. I met a couple of wheelchair users and their dogs who said what a difference it had made to them, having somewhere they could come to reflect.”

James reckons the memorial garden is “one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done.” He added, “By helping others, I feel like I’m passing on some of my luck.”

Many of us would use an incredible Set For Life prize in a similar way to James, according to research by The National Lottery. It reveals that if money was no object, 76 percent of us would go travelling and 21 percent would learn a new skill or hobby, or live and work abroad. Half of us (50 percent) would dine out more and 32 percent would improve our health and fitness.

Just under a quarter (23 percent) would start their own business, 22 percent of us would donate to a charity and 7 percent would retrain and start a new career.

What skills would we master if we had an extra £10,000 every month? The research reveals 47 percent of us would learn a new language and 19 percent would focus on learning sign language in particular. Meanwhile, 40 percent of us would learn how to cook or bake, while 38 percent would master a musical instrument.

Following James’ lead, 13 percent would learn to ski, ice skate or snowboard, 16 percent would practice Yoga or Pilates and 10 percent would work on their golf swing.

To see James in action on the slopes check out our video below.

3rd February 2025