Rex and Jenny Clements' cash win in the competition run by ACM, publisher of The Standard, coincided with Jenny's birthday on Tuesday, May 30.

Mr Clements said his wife deserved the prize given she was taking care of her elderly mother and himself after his health had recently declined.

"I used to help but now I can't, so she's under a lot of pressure looking after her mum and me now," he said.

"It's Jenny's birthday today and I think she deserves the gift really.

"Because of my condition, my movements are very restricted, otherwise we would have jumped on it and gone on a holiday because a lot of our family is overseas.

"It would have been a perfect gift to get a plane ticket, but I can't even use public transport to get to Melbourne at the moment."

Mr Clements said his wife had worked in family daycare with Warrnambool City Council and had also been a kindergarten teacher.

"But she had to give up all of that to look after her mum," he said.

"She wants to look after her at home.

"We'd love to go on a holiday just when the time comes ... at the moment I'm a bit restricted.

"She will use it beautifully, it's wonderful."

Mr and Mrs Clements have been in Warrnambool for 33 years after originally coming from Sri Lanka.

Mr Clements worked at Glenormiston College for 23 years when it was part of Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture and later Melbourne University.

He has continued to work there part-time with South West TAFE.

"I love teaching," Mr Clements said.

"At the end of the day if a simple message that someone has taken on - it gives me a lot of joy.

"To know they've learnt something is beautiful.

"Part of the work is with farming groups.

"I did get offers to go to Dookie but we love Warrnambool."

He said reading the newspaper had always been a morning ritual which began in Sri Lanka.

"The first thing we would do was read the morning papers," Mr Clements said.

"At Glenormiston we'd have the morning tea break and we'd run for the paper and there'd only be one newspaper.

"Once the digital version came, all my teaching is digital now, so first thing I do is click on it and see what's happening."

Mr Clements said he and Mrs Clements had enjoyed a nice birthday lunch and they were looking forward to some birthday cake with their three grandchildren later in the afternoon.

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