22 August 2025
A lucky chain of events leads to $10,000 win
Sometimes, everything just falls into place and for Tanyah, one of Royal Life Saving WA’s latest Royalty VIP Club winners, a series of coincidences turned into a $10,000 windfall.
Having moved to Perth from Zimbabwe two years ago to complete her Masters in Community Development at Murdoch University, Tanyah has been focused on study, work, and building a new life in Australia. Supporting charities along the way was something she did without a second thought.
Little did Tanyah know, she would win the same month she signed up; however, actually getting in contact with her to tell her the news proved trickier than anticipated and she was very hard to reach on the phone or email.
After nearly two months, multiple calls and emails without a reply, Royal Life Saving WA Executive Manager Allan Godfrey decided to knock on her door in a last-ditch effort to deliver the good news.
As luck would have it, she was home that day recovering from the flu and got the surprise of her life when she answered the door in her pyjamas!
Tanyah was sceptical and her housemates were just as unsure about the unexpected visit. By the time she joined them in the sitting room after Allan left, they had already googled the raffle and found a list of past winners—with her name included.
Looking back, Tanyah admits it was almost a miracle that she even signed up.
“I remember the first thing I said to the fundraiser was, ‘I've got to go to work. I’ll get fired. I’ve just gone out for my lunch break,’” she laughed.
“I’m so glad he convinced me!”
But that wasn’t the only thing that could have gone wrong that day; when filling out the sign-up form, they almost missed a digit from her bank details! Luck was definitely on Tanyah’s side for this one.
The well-deserved win couldn’t have come at a better time, with Tanyah putting the money towards the registration fees for her social work license and a down payment on a new car.
For Tanyah, the whole experience still feels surreal.
“It was so surprising for me. We could barely believe it. I still feel very, very lucky.”
Like all raffle proceeds, Tanyah’s win contributes to the WA Swim and Survive Fund, which gives at-risk children and adults across the state access to vital swimming and water safety lessons.
Each year, 21% of WA primary school-aged children miss out on swimming lessons, including those from multicultural, regional, low-income, and Indigenous communities, putting them at greater risk of drowning.
If you’d like the chance to win, while helping others learn to Swim and Survive, join the Royalty VIP Club today.
