RAF Medic Wins £300,000 Prize and Chooses Financial Security Over Luxury Lamborghini

A former RAF medic has secured £300,000 after winning a competition he entered for £4.28, choosing financial stability over a luxury Lamborghini Temerario valued at approximately £270,000. Ryan Briggs, 46, from Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, spent more than two decades serving in the Royal Air Force before transitioning to healthcare during the pandemic.

From Military Service to Paramedic Work

Briggs completed tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan during his RAF career, and also served in the Caribbean during Hurricane Irma in 2017. He later joined the NHS as a paramedic, following a family tradition—his mother worked as a nurse in Pembrokeshire. The transition reflected his long-standing commitment to serving others in high-pressure environments.

His wife Kelly, whom he met while both were serving in the RAF at age 19, supported the decision to pursue the prize money. The couple conducted what Briggs described as a "shotgun wedding" after Kelly decided to stay in the region rather than relocate to northern Scotland. They have now been married for 27 years and have two sons.

The Prize Decision

Upon winning the competition organized by Elite Competitions, Briggs and Kelly were flown by helicopter from Pembrokeshire to Blackpool Airport to make their choice between the vehicle and the cash. Despite describing the Lamborghini as his "dream car," Briggs selected the £300,000, describing it as the "sensible decision" for his family's circumstances. The money will allow the couple to clear existing debts, pay off their remaining mortgage, and provide financial security for their sons—a significant milestone given that Briggs had only recently managed to purchase a home after years of moving through RAF postings.

"Being able to pay our mortgage off at 46 is huge," Briggs said, highlighting the impact of the win on his family's long-term stability.

Briggs noted that his experience flying RAF helicopters—"pretty much every type you can think of"—made the helicopter journey to collect the prize a marked contrast to his military deployments, which often occurred in extreme heat of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius.