Sir Chris Hoy, one of Britain’s greatest Olympic heroes with six gold medals to his name, is now fighting the toughest battle of his life — a terminal cancer diagnosis that arrived two years ago and changed everything.
He first noticed pain in his shoulder and ribs, assuming it was simply “too much time in the gym”. But a scan revealed the unthinkable: a tumour. Hoy later told the BBC he felt absolute horror and shock upon hearing the news. Things worsened when follow-up scans in 2024 showed the cancer had already spread, with doctors giving him “two to four years to live”.
The disease had become so aggressive that tumours had “burrowed” into his spine, fracturing a vertebra. Hoy recalled: “When I had the first diagnosis and scans, some of the secondary tumours in my spine had actually burrowed into the bone so badly it had fractured.”
Despite everything, Hoy has found a surprising shift in his outlook. Speaking to the BBC this week, he revealed: “It’s changed my life without question, but I think in some ways it’s improved my life. I’m not as bothered by small things… I try to focus on the here and the now, enjoying the moment, making the most of today, and trying to find something positive in any situation.”
He added that surrounding himself with positivity has become essential: “Even at the very least, trying just to reject negativity, because it brings you down. If you can, in any situation, look for the positives and surround yourself with people that are the same.”
Hoy says he is still managing to do the things he loves and treasures time with his family. “I’m doing well… and I hope to be around for a lot longer yet.”
In an interview with The Times, Hoy criticised the lack of automatic prostate cancer screening in the UK. “There isn’t a national screening process,” he said. “It shouldn’t be up to people like myself to have to raise awareness, but we do have to… When you turn 45, you should get some sort of information, a letter or an email, to let you know that every man needs to know their individual risk.”
He highlighted how dangerous assumptions can be: “It’s seen as an older man’s disease… I was 47 when I was diagnosed, and by that point it was too late.”
Since his devastating diagnosis, Hoy has channelled his energy into advocacy, using his platform to push for awareness. His charity cycling challenge, Tour de 4, raised over £3 million — more than triple its original target — a testament to both his determination and the lives he hopes to save.