Retired British cycling champion says he has terminal cancer
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A retired British cyclist and six-time Olympic gold medallist says the cancer diagnosis he revealed earlier this year is incurable.
“Most of the battle for me with cancer hasn’t been physical,” Sir Chris Hoy, who became his country’s most decorated Olympian more than a decade ago, told Britain’s Sunday Times Magazine.
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“For me, it has been in my head. 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.”
Hoy, 48, said in February that he was diagnosed with cancer but didn’t elaborate.
He said he felt pain in his shoulder while lifting weights in September 2023.
“I’m just getting a bit old for lifting heavy weights,” he thought at the time.
After seeing a doctor, he was informed that there was a tumour in his shoulder. Just two days after the initial diagnosis, an additional scan revealed tumours in his pelvis, hip, spine and rib.
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“And just like that, I learn how I will die.”
But having Stage 4 cancer shouldn’t make a person feel like their life is over, he said.
“Stage 4’s not just, ‘Right, this is the end of your life.’ There’s more to be lived.”
The news comes on the heels of his upcoming memoir, All That Matters: My Toughest Race Yet, which is set for release next month and documents how the past year has affected and changed him.
“There’s so much positivity that can come out of this from all angles,” he said. “I’m just really excited that this book hopefully will be able to help people.”
In addition, his wife Sarra has her own health battle with multiple sclerosis.
Months after revealing the cancer diagnosis, he joined the BBC for the broadcaster’s Paris Summer Olympics coverage and continues to work.
While doctors say he has two to four years to live, Hoy is receiving treatment and lives life to the fullest.
“Great to be out in Copenhagen for the world track cycling championships broadcasting with the wonderful BBC sport team. Some truly incredible performances; world records and a new generation of future stars showing us what they can do,” he wrote Saturday on Instagram.
“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!”
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