Louis Gorham takes on Ipswich Half to raise funds for Breast Cancer Now

Shaved heads, matching tattoos and a half marathon - what a combination!

Meet Louis Gorham, one of our inspirational runners taking part in the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon on Sunday 22^nd September.

Earlier this year, Louis’ daughter Jessamy rang the bell in Ipswich hospital to mark the successful completion of her breast cancer treatment – an emotional yet victorious moment for all involved.

Since this moment, it’s become clear to her family and friends that she sees the world and life itself differently. “She has this fire in her to push herself to take on new challenges and to support breast cancer charities” reveals dad Louis.

“I have stood by Jessamy every step of her journey and wanted to show my support by making some changes in my own life – I didn’t want her to think she was doing this alone. I started off by shaving my head, which as you can imagine provoked a few amusing remarks in the office.”

“A couple of months later, I then found myself with my first tattoo. Jessamy had casually asked if I’d be interested in getting matching tattoos with both her and her husband. We all wanted to mark how far she’d come and decided to opt for a tattoo which could symbolise her journey.”

The third part of this meaningful journey came when Jessamy asked if Louis would like to join her in participating in the upcoming half marathon. “Before I could really give it some thought, I agreed. Reality soon hit – I struggle with my back, haven’t run in over ten years and the distance became daunting.”

But now with just a few weeks to go, months of training under his belt and raising money for Breast Cancer Now, Louis reveals “Jessamy and I have been training for the half marathon for a number of weeks now and I’m becoming more comfortable with running longer distances.”

“I’m constantly telling Jessamy not to push herself too hard and not to aim for a particular time. She still gets tired, but she’s naturally competitive. I’ve also told her that she doesn’t need to stay with me the whole way and she can leave me at my leisurely pace but she’s adamant we’re doing this together and will finish this together.”