- Neil Jones, a 59-year-old retired tiler, won a $2.9 million lottery prize in 2010.
- He decided to buy a pool table with his winnings, which kickstarted his professional career.
When Neil Jones, a retired tiler, won the lottery more than a decade ago, his life changed in more ways than one.
The 59-year-old British man not only found himself in a more financially secure position, but he also became a professional pool player.
In the run-up to Christmas in 2010, Jones won £2.4 million ($2.9 million), prompting him to embark on a "new life" with his partner, BBC News reported.
At the time of his win, he told Britain's National Lottery that he only had £13 ($15.81) saved up.
While Jones had dabbled in snooker as a teenager, a sport that shares similarities with pool, he hadn't touched his cue in decades, he told the National Lottery.
However, after celebrating the lottery win with friends at a local pool hall, Jones decided to buy his first pool table, according to BBC News.
"I picked a cue up, had a knock, and then I came back home and measured up our dining room so I could buy a decent pool table," he told the news outlet.
What followed was "thousands of hours" of training, he told BBC News, which he only had the time for after the life-changing win.
Jones told the National Lottery that he wanted a new hobby to enjoy with his newfound free time. He also picked up scuba diving.
"Winning the lottery allowed me to put those hours in," he told BBC News. "If I didn't win, I wouldn't have been able to buy the table, I wouldn't have had the time — I'd still be on my hands and knees tiling."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when others were unable to play pool at pubs and pool halls, Jones made the most of his ability to practice at home, BBC News reported.
He quickly rose up through the ranks by playing in local competitions, he told the National Lottery.
Earlier this year, he was chosen to represent England in a Home Nations tournament.
Next month, he will be representing his country in the European Championships in Malta to captain the England B1 team.
"I didn't have that much money left in the world when I won, and now I'm captaining my country," he told BBC News.