Littlehampton cancer survivor dances around town to raise money for a cure

A Littlehampton cancer survivor is dancing around the town to raise money for a cure - and has already attracted a lot of attention.
Gary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek MartinGary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek Martin
Gary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek Martin

Gary Broughton from Bayford Road, Littlehampton, has set himself the challenge of dancing everywhere he goes for three hours a day to raise money for Cancer Research after surviving his own cancer diagnosis.

The television extra said he was attracting crowds of people in the street, with people filming him and uploading it to social media.

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He said: “People think I’m a nutter, but when they see the Cancer Research t-shirt they realise why I’m doing it.”

Gary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek MartinGary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek Martin
Gary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek Martin

The 47-year-old went to the doctor after noticing two spots on his leg and was diagnosed with skin cancer on February 22 last year – his birthday.

He said: “When someone says you have a tumour, you start freaking out.

“Cancer is a silent killer. I thought I just had a couple of spots – I didn’t know I had cancer.”

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In April at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, doctors were able to remove the cancer, which had not spread into his body.

Gary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek MartinGary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek Martin
Gary Broughton, 47, is busting some moves around Littlehampton for a cancer cure. Picture: Derek Martin

Gary has been left with a six-inch scar on his thigh which he said looked like he had ‘been bitten by a shark’, but was ‘buzzing’ that he was healthy again.

To mark his journey, the ink art fanatic got two tattoos at Rustynail Tattoos in Bognor Regis: one of a snow leopard when he was diagnosed, and a snow leopard cub when he was in remission, to signify he was ‘born again’.

Following his experience, the aspiring tattoo model has got involved in fundraising for Cancer Research. On June 19, he walked 29 miles from Bognor Regis pier to Brighton Palace Pier, raising £426, and from this the charity put him forward to take part in the Shine Night Walk in London on September 22 last year, which raised £4million.

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Gary was set to walk 300,000 steps in March as a fundraiser, but his plans were scuppered after injuring his foot in an electric scooter accident.

The snow leopard cub tattoo that Gary Broughton got to celebrate his cancer being removed. Picture: Derek MartinThe snow leopard cub tattoo that Gary Broughton got to celebrate his cancer being removed. Picture: Derek Martin
The snow leopard cub tattoo that Gary Broughton got to celebrate his cancer being removed. Picture: Derek Martin

So instead, the former breakdancer – who cited the late Prodigy frontman Keith Flint as an inspiration – settled on the dance challenge, which he even took to London. He said: “I was dancing and a policeman asked if I was on drugs.

“I said that I love dancing because I survived cancer, and he said ‘Appreciate that mate, nice one’.”

His aim is to raise £1000.