Sir Chris Hoy has admitted it is hard to be ‘positive all the time’ amid his battle with stage four prostate cancer but that he is still planning ‘big exciting things’ for the future.
The legendary cyclist, 48, was diagnosed in September 2023 after a routine check on a shoulder strain led doctors to discover he had a tumour, before a further scan revealed the primary cancer to be in his prostate which had spread to his bones.
Despite undergoing chemotherapy, the seven-time Olympic medalist was told he had only two to four years to live after making the prognosis public last October.
However, the 48-year-old has now spoken about his plans for the future after Professor Sir Chris Evans, a leading scientific entrepreneur, said he has ’15 to 16′ options to prolong his life.
First paying tribute to his wife Sarra, who he described as his ‘rock’ and ‘foundation’, Sir Chris told The Sun how he is still looking for ways to ‘find hope’ while battling the illness.
‘You have to find hope because for good reason the doctors can’t give you false hope, they can’t promise you anything,’ he said.
First paying tribute to his wife Sarra (left), who he described as his ‘rock’ and ‘foundation’, Sir Chris said he is still lookin for ways to ‘find hope’ while battling the illness
Despite undergoing chemotherapy after his diagnosis in September 2023, the seven-time Olympic medalist was told he had only two to four years to live
Sir Chris has now spoken about his plans for the future after Professor Sir Chris Evans (pictured), a leading scientific entrepreneur, said he has ’15 to 16′ options to prolong his life
‘You don’t have to be positive every day as it is impossible to be positive all the time.
‘I think it’s so important to still have big ambitions and goals and reason to drive you on and to have a focus and to not think too far ahead.’
Speaking at a Q and A session for Community Socials Cancer Awareness Trust in London, Sir Chris also said how he is looking forward to family getaways and competing in the Tour De Four – his charity race in Scotland this September.
The comments come after the former Olympian urged thousands of men to check their likelihood of suffering with prostate cancer.
The 48-year-old started a campaign last month encouraging awareness on England’s most common form of cancer, after announcing his own tragic diagnosis last year.
Since the start of his campaign, more than 75,000 men have used charity Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker to see if they too could be affected by the disease.
Sir Chris said he is looking forward to family getaways and competing in the Tour De Four – his charity race in Scotland this September
Sir Chris Hoy is knighted by King Charles – while he held his former title as the Prince of Wales – in 2008 during an investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace
The legendary cyclist won seven Olympic medals in his career, six of them gold
And Sir Chris’s efforts seem to have been well worth it after more than 80 per cent of them discovered they were a high risk patient after using the checker, which advised them to talk to their GP about getting tested.
Hoy’s campaign, in collaboration with Marks & Spencer, has raised more than £55,000 for Prostate Cancer UK by donating £4 from every pack of men’s underwear from the Autograph range sold in the popular supermarket to the charity.
Troubling figures show one in eight men will get prostate cancer – a risk which is doubled for black men. More than 12,000 men die from the disease every year – that is one every 45 minutes.
Hoy’s own experience has inspired him to raise awareness of how important it can be to get diagnosed early – when treatment has a better chance of succeeding.
He first announced in February last year that he was undergoing treatment for cancer, but said he was ‘optimistic’ and then worked as a BBC pundit at the Paris Olympics in the summer.
However, the father-of-two admitted in October 2024 that he had known for a year that his illness was terminal.
The Scot originally went to the doctor in September 2023 for a suspected shoulder strain, only to discover he had a tumour in his shoulder.
A further scan found that the primary cancer was in his prostate and had spread to his bones.