Olympic hero Sir Chris Hoy kept his terminal cancer diagnosis a secret for a year as he underwent chemotherapy that left him ‘absolutely broken’, he has revealed.
The cycling legend revealed on Sunday that he has two to four years to live after doctors discovered a tumour last year.
A second scan found the primary cancer in his prostate, which had metastasised to his bones, with tumours in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib.
The 48-year-old says he is ‘appreciating life’ and ‘finding joy,’ and was working in Copehagen yesterday as part of the BBC’s commentary team for a track cycling event.
Sir Chris, a father of two, also revealed the additional blow that his wife, Sarra, had been diagnosed with ‘very active and aggressive’ Multiple Sclerosis.
Sir Chris Hoy with his wife Sarra and children Chloe and Callum
Yesterday deluged with messages of support and praise for his courage, with fellow Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinset describing him as ‘one of the finest to ever represent our country’.
Sir Chris, who has six Olympic gold medals and one silver, revealed he kept the devastating news of his terminal diagnosis a secret for a year.
Struggling to come to terms with his prognosis, he said he was often gripped by panic as he faced the prospect of breaking the news to his children Chloe, 7 and Callum, 10.
He told The Sunday Times Magazine: ‘One sentence that some person you’ve never met before has just told you. And in the space of one sentence, just a collection of words, your whole world has fallen apart.’
To avoid losing his hair during chemotherapy, he wore a ‘cold cap’ which reduces the amount of medication reaching hair follicles.
He said the sensation was ‘like your head being in a vice’.
In addition, a violent allergic reaction to the chemotherapy in round two extended one session from two hours to four. He admitted he was ‘absolutely broken by the end of it’.
He announced he was receiving treatment for cancer in February this year, but has only now revealed his diagnosis is terminal.
Sir Chris said: ‘Most of the battle for me with cancer hasn’t been physical. For me, it has been in my head.’
He added: ‘As unnatural as it feels, this is nature. You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process. I’ve been given enough time to say goodbye.’
Sir Chris was in Copenhagen to commentate on a track cycling event yesterday
Sir Chris said he is now determined to make the most of the time he has left.
He said: ‘So what I’ve come round to thinking is, why spoil that time? Crack on and enjoy and be grateful for what you do have. I’m not saying that I’m a Zen master and I’ve controlled my thoughts and my emotions in every situation. I’m not trying to pretend that every day is amazing. But I have genuine moments of joy. I have laughter. I’m not thinking about it all the time. I’m back to my old self’
He added: ‘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.’
The scan that revealed Mrs Hoy’s MS was carried out just weeks before Sir Chris learned he had cancer.
He said: ‘It’s the closest I’ve come to, like, you know, why me? Just, what? What’s going on here? It didn’t seem real. It was such a huge blow, when you’re already reeling. You think nothing could possibly get worse. You literally feel like you’re at rock bottom, and you find out, oh no, you’ve got further to fall. It was brutal.’
Yesterday messages of support flooded in, with former Olympic cyclist Mark Cavendish branding Sir Chris a ‘hero of a human being’.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hailed Sir Chris as ‘a British sporting legend’ and said ‘the whole country is behind him and his family’.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was treated for cancer in 2021, told Sky’s Trevor Phillips on Sunday show: ‘He is such an inspirational guy and I thought that was particularly true in the way that he talked about his terminal cancer diagnosis today.
‘I think to have 2 to 4 years potentially left to live and yet to maintain that optimism and positivity that has characterised his life and career I think is actually remarkable.
‘I also feel, and I have felt this for the last few years, after my own brush with kidney cancer, very lucky because with cancer it can go one of two ways: you can survive and thrive, and we’ve got much better cancer treatment now than we’ve ever had available, but then in cases like Chris’s you’ve got a terminal diagnosis and a life-ending prognosis.
‘I’m just in awe, actually, of just how he is kind of dealing with that because I’m not sure how I’d react to the same situation.’
Sir Chris dominated track cycling during his career, winning six Olympic gold medals
He added: ‘It is really important that people come forward, regardless of the state of the NHS - and it really is in a truly awful state at the moment - don’t let that put you off going to seek care and treatment if you need it.’
Sir Chris urged men with concerns to take a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, which can detect cancer early, adding that a friend had taken one after learning of his diagnosis.
He said: ‘And he had cancer. And he’s being treated. And it looks like he has caught it early enough. So you think, well, there’s one person that’s benefited. Amazing.’
Writing on social media, the First Minister John Swinney said: ‘I send every good wish to Sir Chris Hoy and his family.
‘He has always inspired us by all that he has done. He is a person of incredible courage and that shines through today.’
Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said she ‘shed a tear’ reading the interview with Sir Chris where he revealed his terminal diagnosis and talked positively about the way he was handling it.
Sir Chris and Sarra on their wedding day
She said: ‘For all his amazing, world-beating accomplishments, the quality that has always shone brightest from Sir Chris Hoy is his decency. Here he is strength and grace personified.
‘Sending prayers to Chris, Sarra and the Hoy family.’
Former prime minister Gordon Brown also posted on X: ‘Courage has defined the golden sporting career of Sir Chris Hoy and now characterises how Chris and Sarra both face their health diagnoses and embrace life. My thoughts and those of our family are with them and their family.’
Former Olympic rower James Cracknell said he was not surprised at Sir Chris’ determination in the face of his diagnosis, saying: ‘As Olympic champion his event got cut from the schedule. He refocused, didn’t complain, mastered different events and won five more gold medals.’
Former Scotland footballer Ally McCoist said: ‘You, my friend are a superstar in every sense of the word’.
Yesterday Sir Chris returned to his regular duties and appeared on the BBC for their Sunday afternoon coverage of the World Track Cycling Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
He said: ‘It’s always great to be back in the track centre, so many familiar faces, team mates, coaches, rivals and happy memories for me coming back to Copenhagen from 2002 and 2010,’
Sir Chris was a dominant force in sprint cycling, winning six Olympic, 11 world and 34 World Cup titles by the time he retired from competitive racing in 2013.
Only his former team-mate Sir Jason Kenny has won more Olympic gold medals for Great Britain.
He was awarded his knighthood in 2008 at the same time that his mother Carol, a retired nurse, was recognised with an MBE for her work on sleep-related illnesses.
Inspired to try cycling by a scene in the film E.T., he soon reached the world’s top 10 rankings in BMX and in addition was a medallist at the Scottish Junior Rowing Championships.
His rise to the top mirrored his nation’s emergence to the top of track cycling.
The velodrome built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is named in his honour.
Sir Chris went into business promoting his cycling range following his retirement.
He has written a children’s book series titled Flying Fergus and completed the gruelling Le Mans 24-Hour motor race in June 2016.