United Kingdom: Sir Chris Hoy, the six-time Olympic cycling champion, has revealed that, he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The 48-year-old Scottish athlete disclosed that doctors have given him a prognosis of two to four years to live, following a year of knowing about his condition.
Hoy, who formerly announced his cancer diagnosis earlier this year, has now shared that he has been fighting primary prostate cancer, which has unfortunately extended to his bones, categorizing it as stage four.
Tumours have been detected in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine, and rib. Reflecting on his journey, Hoy stated that, “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. You remind yourself, aren’t I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will safeguard this off for as long as possible.”
The diagnosis came to light last year during a periodic scan conducted due to shoulder pain that Hoy initially attributed to a gym injury. The news was delivered in the sight of his wife, Sarra, who herself was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
Hoy’s Olympic career is honoured for its remarkable achievements, including six gold medals won between 2004 and 2012, making him the second most successful British Olympian, just behind Sir Jason Kenny. Since retiring from competitive cycling in 2013, Hoy has taken on roles as a pundit and commentator, while also authoring several children’s books.
The former Olympian was honoured to be the flag bearer for Team GB at both the closing ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. Additionally, a stadium in Glasgow was named in his honour for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Currently, Hoy is co-presenting the coverage of the World Track Championships in Denmark, Two alongside Jill Douglas, continuing his desire for cycling even with his health challenges. He leaves behind a heritage of motivation for future generations of athletes and sports enthusiasts.