Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy has revealed he has terminal cancer.
Hoy, 48, announced in February that he was being treated for cancer. However, after a scan last September showed a tumour in his shoulder, a second scan found the main cancer to be in his prostate – which has since spread to Hoy’s shoulder, pelvis, hip, ribs and spine.
The six-time Olympic cycling champion, who has two children aged seven and 10, has now revealed he was given a terminal cancer diagnosis and was given two to four years left to live.
He added that he had kept his terminal diagnosis private for a year and also divulged that his wife, Sarra, has “very active and aggressive” multiple sclerosis after a scan last year.
“As unnatural as it feels, this is nature,” Hoy told The Sunday Times. “You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.
“You remind yourself, ‘aren’t I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible’. But most of the battle for me with cancer hasn’t been physical. For me, it has been in my head.”
The former track cyclist is an 11-time world champion as well as a six-time Olympic champion, who competed for Great Britain at four Olympic Games between 2000 and 2012.
Hoy is Scotland’s most successful Olympian and has the second-most gold medals of any Brit behind Jason Kenny.
In his interview with The Sunday Times, ahead of the publishing of his memoir All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet next month, Hoy added: “Hand on heart, I’m pretty positive most of the time and I have genuine happiness.
“This is bigger than the Olympics. It’s bigger than anything. This is about appreciating life and finding joy.
“There’s so much positivity that can come out of this from all angles. I’m just really excited that this book hopefully will be able to help people.
“It’s a double-edged sword, because the kids make it all the more painful when you have the fear of what there is to lose. But they also help you appreciate each day and get through those difficult moments.”
Hoy started his career in BMX before turning to track cycling and won his first Olympic medal in the team sprint at the Sydney Games in 2000.
Then he turned his attention to the kilometre time trial, winning the world title before gold in Athens in 2004. Hoy then took up other track sprinting events and he led the British cycling team in Beijing, with three gold medals in the individual sprint, team sprint and keirin, before retaining his team sprint and keirin crowns on home boards at London 2012 for two final gold medals.
He was awarded a knighthood in the 2009 New Year Honours List and won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2008. He was also a pundit on the BBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games in Paris over the summer.
