by October 19, 2024, 11:34 p.m
Sir Chris Hoy, one of Britain’s greatest cyclists and Olympians, has revealed his cancer is fatal.
Image: Alamy
Sir Chris Hoy, one of Britain’s greatest cyclists and Olympians, has revealed his cancer is fatal.
The diagnosis has been made and he has two to four years to live.
Sir Chris told the Sunday Times: “As unnatural as it feels, this is nature.”
He added: “You know, we’re all born and we all die, and that’s just part of the process.”
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“Remember, aren’t I lucky I can take medication that will stave this off for as long as possible?”
In February, while undergoing treatment including chemotherapy, Sir Chris said he felt “compelled” to publicly reveal his cancer diagnosis.
At the time, Sir Chris said he was “doing really well” following his diagnosis in 2023 and was “optimistic, positive and surrounded by love, which I’m really grateful for.”
Sir Chris Hoy, one of Britain’s greatest cyclists and Olympians, has revealed his cancer is fatal.
Image: Alamy
He did not reveal what type of cancer he had.
Sir Chris, 48, was a pundit for the BBC over the summer covering the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He was such a dominant force in sprint cycling that by the time he retired from competitive racing in 2013, he had won six Olympic, 11 world and 34 World Cup titles.
With six gold medals and one silver, he is the third most decorated British Olympian of all time.
The Edinburgh native asked for privacy following the announcement.
In February, Sir Chris wrote on his Instagram account: “For the sake of my young family I had hoped to keep this information secret, but unfortunately our hand has been forced.”
Sir Chris said the diagnosis had come as a “huge shock”.
He wrote: “I have some news. I was diagnosed with cancer last year, which was a big shock as I had no symptoms up until that point.”
Sir Chris is the third most decorated British Olympian of all time, with six gold and one silver medals in his career.
Image: Alamy
Sir Chris expressed his “sincere thanks” to medical professionals for their “amazing help and care”.
The Scot said: “While I am grateful for any support, I would like to sort this out privately.”
“My condolences go out to the many others who are also currently facing similar challenges.
“I am optimistic, positive and surrounded by love that I am truly grateful for. As you can imagine, the last few months have been incredibly difficult. However, I am currently doing well.”
Sir Chris said he would continue to cycle and was looking forward to being “stuck” in the coming year, adding: “I’m continuing to work, cycle and live my life as usual.”
A scene in the film ET inspired Hoy to take up cycling and he soon reached the top 10 in the world rankings in BMX and was also a medalist at the Scottish Junior Rowing Championships.
His rise to the top mirrored his country’s rise to the top of track cycling.
The velodrome built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is named in his honour.
Sir Chris began marketing his cycling range after his retirement.
He has written a children’s book series called Flying Fergus and completed the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2016.
