Olympic six-time the champion Chris Hoy, 48, announces terminal cancer diagnosis

Chris Hoy, a six-time Olympic winner, has revealed that his cancer is terminal and that his prognosis is two to four years.

One of Britain's most famous and accomplished Olympians, the former cyclist, revealed his diagnosis to The Sunday Times newspaper. He said he first visited the hospital in September of last year after experiencing shoulder pain.

In a February Instagram post, 48-year-old Hoy said that he had received a cancer diagnosis in 2023. He described it as a "huge shock" at the time, adding that he had not experienced any symptoms before. He went on to say that his treatment, which included chemotherapy, was "going really well."

He characterized his mindset at the time as "optimistic, positive."

But Hoy has known for a year that the cancer was terminal, and kept it under wraps until now.

He received worse news two days later: a second scan revealed that the cancer, which was stage 4 and incurable, had spread from his prostate to his bones, leaving behind tumors in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine, and ribs.

Hoy was given two to four years to live, according to the doctors. Upon inquiring about therapy, his wife Sarra was informed that it would be "management."

“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,” he told The Sunday Times.

“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,” he added.

In November, chemotherapy started. According to the Sunday Times, Hoy decided to wear a cold cap to protect his hair throughout the six bouts, which were spread out over 18 weeks. In round two, he experienced a "violent" allergic reaction to the chemotherapy, which resulted in a four-hour session instead of the two-hour one.

Hoy also disclosed in the interview that a month after learning he had cancer, his wife Sarra, with whom he has two small children, received a multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis.

"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," Hoy told. "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 cruel.

Even though they both have terminal illnesses, Hoy said, "I still feel like we're lucky."

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Hoy made his Olympic debut by taking second place in the men's team sprint competition.

Prior to being well-known in Britain as a result of his performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where he won three gold medals in three different events, he won his first gold medal in the men's 1,000-meter time trial in Athens in 2004.

He retired as Team GB's most successful Olympian ever after winning two more gold medals at the London 2012 Games, though teammate track cyclist Jason Kenny has since surpassed him.

Hoy is now in Copenhagen to broadcast for the BBC during the World Track Cycling Championships. He sent a message to his Instagram fans on Saturday.

"You may see in the news this weekend some articles about my health, so I just wanted to reassure you all that I’m feeling fit, strong and positive, and overwhelmed by all the love and support shown to my family and me. Onwards!"