Sarra Hoy, the wife of Olympic cycling legend Sir Chris Hoy, has opened up about how the family is coping after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis just six weeks after her husband was diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer

Lady Sarra Hoy spoke to Lorraine about her own multiple sclerosis diagnosis – and her husband’s cancer diagnosis

Sir Chris Hoy’s wife Lady Sarra Hoy has opened up about her and Chris’ biggest fears amid their health battles. Chris has been diagnosed with cancer, whilst Sarra was also diagnosed with multiple sclerosis within weeks of one another.

During a conversation with Lorraine Kelly today on her show, Lady Sarra opened up about her own health battle and explained that their focus is just their children. She admitted that she struggles to sleep over what the future holds but she is desperately trying to embrace what is happening to their family and not worry about the things she can’t control.

Speaking on Lorraine today, she revealed: “It came very early on. You just don’t sleep; it’s awful. It was about just trying to control what I could. I can’t do anything about cancer and I can’t do anything about MS.

“I can’t control any of that – but what can I do? What can I change? And that’s where the idea of when everything is spiralling, just to stop and think right now, we’re safe, the children are safe. This can’t define us. We will not become the victims to this.”

Chris and Sarra Hoy were diagnosed within weeks of one another(Image: Getty Images)

Elsewhere, Lady Sarra admitted there’s no time for either of them to stop – and their focus is making things as great as they can for their children, insisting that is what has been helping to get them through.

“With kids you don’t get a chance, there’s no time to stop and have a day in bed, you just don’t get that opportunity. So yes, the children are everything for us and our family that surrounds us are everything,” she explained, “It’s been okay and I think people are really surprised to know that you can sort of be okay, and I think that’s definitely what’s helped us get through.”

With the diagnosis coming within weeks of each other, Lady Sarra admitted it felt like a “final straw”. She explained: “It did feel like a final straw, it was so surreal that it was in some ways easier to deal with – with my diagnosis – because I could just say, I have to just put that aside right now.

“I didn’t tell Chris [straight away] but he was the only person I wanted to tell. Never ever held a secret like that, but it was literally six weeks when the diagnosis came after his and I just knew it wasn’t the right time.”

Sarra spoke to Lorraine on her show today

She added: “The family around us. We have great friends who have managed to identify and have the confidence to give us the help, rather than wait to see what we need. You sometimes don’t know when someone says let me know if there’s anything I can do.

“You realise how precious things are. That bird that just tweeted, us here together. All those things are so special. Make it simple. The most simple thing you can do right here right now – is it going to be a sunny day.”

In a heartbreaking admission, she added: “There’s another version of me who didn’t go to the doctor that day and didn’t get that diagnosis. I’d be going on unaware that something’s going on. Again, that’s bringing it back to the here and now. We’re really lucky. We’ve been unlucky in a small area of our lives, the rest – we are surrounded by wonderful people and great things.”