Bloomsday Perennial: Rogers, WSU grad became a pioneer before the ADA could help

There were some years when Larry Gorton signed up for Bloomsday as “Larry” and other years that he signed up with his formal name, “Lawrence.” As the number of Bloomsdays climbed, Gorton had to convince organizers that Larry Gorton and Lawrence Gorton were the same person so he could claim his Perennial status as someone who has completed every race.

“I contacted the office and they got all the Lawrences and the Larrys put together,” he said.

Gorton was born and raised in Spokane, graduating from Rogers High School. He graduated from Washington State University with a degree in architecture, but worked as a structural engineer for decades.

Gorton is profoundly deaf, a disability that may have been caused by medication given to his mother while she was pregnant. These days he uses an app that transcribes people’s speech to text and his wife often acts as an interpreter using American Sign Language. But in Gorton’s early years, he often broke accessibility barriers at school and at work because accommodations for disabilities wasn’t required.

“I have had many struggles,” he said. “There was no Americans with Disabilities Act until 1990.”

“He’s a pioneer,” said his wife, Jane. “They didn’t have interpreters back then. He’s such a success story.”

When he was in high school, Gorton was active. He always played baseball and basketball.

“I wasn’t really into running,” he said.

When he first got to college he had to take physical education classes.

“I took up jogging,” he said. “I didn’t like it.”

But it eventually grew on him. It was fellow students in his college dorm who persuaded him to start running.

“They pulled me into running,” he said. “At the end of the day we’d go out running to the airport and back.”

Now, Gorton can’t imagine not running.

“I’m running for the fun and the health of it,” he said. “It opened up new doors in my life.”

Gorton heard about the first Bloomsday and that one of his idols, Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter, would be participating. He recalls putting on his running outfit of T-shirt, gym shorts, tube socks and blue Nike waffle shoes which he said “made it feel like I was running barefoot.”

At first he had been hesitant to sign up because he thought Bloomsday was just for serious runners. Then saw that everyone was welcome. He signed up the second year because Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers was coming.

“He inspired me to do it again,” he said.

After that, Gorton figured he was on a roll and he should just keep doing Bloomsday every year. He enjoyed seeing the crowds get bigger every year: “The more the merrier,” he said. “It was good that we had a crowd. I strongly believe that Bloomsday inspired more events to come, like Hoopfest and other events.”

Being deaf never made Bloomsday harder, Gorton said, though he does take precautions when he’s out training on city streets. “Normally when I run I face the traffic,” he said. “I try to be careful.”

He got hearing aids 10 years ago that let him hear loud noises.

“I can hear police sirens,” he said. “I can hear a horn honking.”

For years Gorton played basketball in the winter to help him stay in shape. In January 2005 he damaged his Achilles and it took him four months to recover, but he was able to do Bloomsday.

He had two stents implanted in June 2012. Five years later his cardiologist wanted to discuss a valve replacement and he pushed his appointment to two days after Bloomsday. When he had his appointment, the surgeon was also there, ready to schedule his procedure.

“It was a surprise,” Gorton said. “I’d had a good run.”

Gorton, 78, said he’s not sure how much longer he’ll keep doing Bloomsday. “In my life, I go day by day,” he said. “I don’t look too far. I thank God for the blessings.”