'I want to make mum proud': Two school friends inspired by mums' cancer battles train for London Marathon
Two former school friends inspired by their mums’ cancer battles will take on one of the country’s biggest marathon events for charity
Jesse Walklin and Jake Dipple, who became friends while at Portsmouth Grammar School, are currently training round the clock for the London Marathon to support Brain Tumour Research after both of their mums were diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer.
Jesse’s mum, Caroline Walklin, from Fareham, was diagnosed with a grade 3 oligodendroglioma brain tumour in June 2022. The 61-year-old, who had recently retired from her job in pastoral care at Crofton School, endured 15 months of gruelling treatment consisting of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy before sadly dying 15 months after her diagnosis.
.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&trim=&width=640&quality=65)
The chief revenue officer for global recruitment company Codex, said: “I’m running this marathon in honour of Mum and her strength.
“She was told she had just a year to live and fought relentlessly to spend more time with us. I’m determined to raise as much as possible, so other families don’t have to go through the same heartbreak.”
Jake’s mum, Sara, from Hayling Island, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma - the most common form of primary brain cancer in adults - last year. The retired reception teacher at Portsmouth Grammar School underwent surgery followed by six weeks of combined radiotherapy and chemotherapy and now has to have regular scans every three months to monitor for regrowth.
The 35-year-old, from Streatham, said: “Jesse and I met for a drink shortly after last year’s Marathon, and when I heard about the scale of underfunding for research into the disease, I knew I had to do something. I’m not much of a runner – my longest distance before this was 5k – but I want to make Mum proud.
“It was a huge shock when my mum was diagnosed last year. I was at the Golf Day fundraiser Jesse organised last year – just a week later, Mum was diagnosed with brain cancer. She'd been struggling since the start of the year with increasingly frequent migraines, but we were told not to worry.
“However, after returning from a holiday in South Africa, my grandma fell ill and was moved into end-of-life care. It was during this time that her symptoms worsened dramatically, initially being put down to stress, exhaustion, and grief. As Mum became more unwell and started having difficulty with movement, confusion and forgetfulness, Dad took her to A&E, where a scan revealed the cause.”
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK, including its Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London, which is developing personalised treatments for glioblastoma. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure .
Carol Robertson, national events manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Jesse and Jake’s stories are heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measure. Both have seen their mums’ lives devastated by aggressive brain tumours – one has lost hers, and the other faces an uncertain future.
“The determination of Jake and Jess to channel their experiences into action embodies the spirit of our charity, helping highlight why greater investment in research is so urgently needed.”
Jesse first ran the London Marathon in 2024 while his mum was still alive, completing the 26.2 miles in 5 hours 13 minutes – dressed in a giant pink brain costume. He has also founded Caroline’s There, a fundraising group supporting Brain Tumour Research.